Milborne Port Parish Plan Research, Evidence and Proposals

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 1 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Acknowledgements

The steering committee would like to acknowledge the help and support of the residents of Milborne Port, without which this plan would not have been possible.

In addition, the following organisations have also supported this work with encouragement, advice and financial help:

South Somerset District Council

Milborne Port Parish Council

Rural Renaissance

Published by the Milborne Port Parish Council, Town Hall, Milborne Port DT9 5DF

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 2 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Table of Contents

1 Foreword...... 6 2 Introduction...... 7 2.1 Why a Parish Plan?...... 7 2.2 Local Government Aims...... 7 2.3 Vision for Milborne Port...... 9 2.4 A brief history of Milborne Port...... 9 2.5 Milborne Port today...... 10 3 Process followed ...... 12 4 Findings and Issues...... 13 4.1 Economy...... 13 4.1.1 Introduction...... 13 4.1.2 The Nature of Milborne Port Businesses...... 13 4.1.3 Local Multiplier (LM3)...... 14 4.1.4 Retail...... 15 4.1.5 Business Premises...... 16 4.1.6 Workforce ...... 17 4.2 Environment...... 18 4.2.1 Built Environment...... 20 4.2.2 Highways and Traffic Management...... 20 4.2.3 Public transport...... 23 4.2.4 Natural Environment...... 24 4.2.5 Leisure Environment...... 24 4.2.6 Lifestyle ...... 24 4.2.7 Sustainability...... 25 4.3 Community ...... 26 4.3.1 Social Groups...... 26 4.3.2 Communications...... 26 4.3.3 Faith Groups...... 27 4.3.4 Education ...... 27 4.3.5 Crime...... 28 4.3.6 Facilities for Young People ...... 28 5 The Way Forward...... 29 5.1 Planned Actions ...... 29 5.1.1 Economy...... 29 5.1.2 Environment...... 30 5.1.3 Community ...... 30 5.2 Proposed Actions ...... 30 Appendix I Initial Questionnaire and responses ...... 36 Appendix II Economic Analysis ...... 47 Appendix III Economic Focus Group Meeting...... 72 Appendix IV Environment Evidence Base...... 84 Appendix V Community and environments Focus Group Meeting..92 Appendix VI Community Groups...... 98 Appendix VII Report from PCSO...... 102 Appendix VIII Discussions with Faith Leaders...... 104

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 3 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix IX Final Consultation event ...... 107 Appendix X List of Available Commercial Premises...... 114 Appendix XI the Consultation Process...... 115 Appendix XII Specific References...... 119 Appendix XIII Bibliography...... 120

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 4 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24

Revision Date Reason

Initial draft 18 September 2009

Second Draft 27 November 2009 Edited for style, content and readability

Third Draft 16 February 2010 Action plan tabulated and minor text revisions

Release version 16 March 2010 Initial release following approval of Parish Council

Acknowledgements 10 April 2010 Acknowledgements added missed out of original release version

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 5 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 1 Foreword We are very pleased to present the Milborne Port Parish Plan. The plan is the result of widespread consultation with local people, who have identified the issues affecting their lives and it sets out the priorities for action in the next few years. In producing the plan we have also drawn on a huge amount of information and research undertaken by the Parish Council, South Somerset District Council and others, to give it a factual basis.

Parish Plans are about the future of the area and the quality of life which future generations will want to have. They allow us to defend what we want to keep and fend off what we would rather not have. They can provide the evidence of local opinion, are a consideration for other authorities to take into account when forming planning policy and when considering development control (planning) matters and which help to influence authorities and other organisations, when they decide how to use their resources locally.

This Parish Plan includes an Action Plan which sets out the ideas and suggestions that were collected from the village. Working together in partnership, the Parish Council, the village community, volunteers, private businesses, and other public sector authorities can use their combined strengths to address the challenging and complex issues that face the Parish. Some actions in the plan will be easier to achieve than others and can be tackled more quickly. Not everything in the plan will be achieved. Change will happen, with or without local influence, but without a comprehensive record of local views the Parish is in a much weaker position.

We would like to thank all the residents and businesses of Milborne Port who have contributed their time and views to this Parish Plan, and to thank the Steering Group for their hard work in organising the research and consultation that has resulted in such a useful document. This gives the Parish Council a comprehensive record of the views of its residents which we can use in conjunction with others, to influence the future of life in the Parish. The Parish Council is happy to endorse the Milborne Port Parish Plan and hopes to work with its partners to help implement what it is practical to achieve.

Ernie Davis (Chairman, Milborne Port Parish Council)

Hilary Ritchie (Chair, Parish Plan Steering Group)

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 6 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 2 Introduction This document has been produced after almost two years of research by a team of volunteers from the village operating under the auspices of the Parish Council, with support from an independent consultant and the South Somerset District Council. Creating the data for this report has involved the entire village, residents and business people alike and our thanks to them for supporting this endeavour.

This report seeks to document the whole process, data collected and analysis there from. It is hence a very lengthy document. A summary report containing the main conclusions and recommendations will also be published.

2.1 Why a Parish Plan? A tremendous amount of work has gone into producing this plan, but why has this plan been produced? The following quote from the Countryside Agency’s report CA122; “Parish Plans - Guidance for parish and town councils” best describes the rationale for producing this plan.

“It is Government policy to increase individual participation in public life and for public bodies to consult communities about the delivery of services. As part of this policy of “active citizenship” the Government wants to give more power to parish councils to decide what’s best for their own communities.

If you as a parish council can show you are taking your future seriously, a Parish Plan might increase your chances of getting local authority support to enhance your parish’s economic, social and environmental well-being.

It will give you the evidence to help inform policy-making by a range of organisations, from the local planning authority to police and health services. It will also help you to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all those outside bodies who provide services to your community, now or in the future.”

2.2 Local Government Aims The village is one of seven rural centres as defined in the South Somerset District council’s Local development framework (LDF) document dated March 2008. The village is not scheduled for major development of industry or housing (see the peripheral landscape study, dated October 2008, issued May 2009). 3.76 hectares of land have been identified as suitable for development allowing for up to 140 additional houses at the government recommended density. This is in addition to the two developments currently in progress along the river valley.

It is worth highlighting at this point that government have identified that rural centres, should aim to:-

Improved quality of life Quality of life is measured against a scale of deprivation as defined in government guidelines. Issues such as access to healthcare, post office, library, shops, local transport and leisure facilities are factored in. According to

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 7 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 these criteria Milborne Port is the least deprived Ward in South East Somerset. However the wage rates in the area are generally below the national average and the ratio of household income to the average house price in rural areas can be as high as 14 compared to the national average of 6.25.

The South Somerset vision statement reads ;-“ A thriving South Somerset which makes the most of its natural assets, heritage, enterprise and community spirit in order to conserve natural resources, plan and build a better quality of life for everyone, now and in the future.”

Being self contained “South Somerset will be a thriving, attractive, affordable and sustainable district in which to live, work and play in settlements with high quality community facilities, improved transport infrastructure, and high levels of self containment.”

Being sustainable (ref 1) See 13 objectives to sustainability page 15 of LDF . 13 goals have been derived by South Somerset Council to define a Sustainable Community Strategy as follows.

SO1 Safe and strong communities with strong social networks. SO2 Everyone able to choose healthy lifestyles and access support to improve health. SO3 Services and facilities(including education, health, advice and information, leisure and cultural) that have all been designed around the needs of the community enabling everyone to have fair and equitable access. SO4 People of all ages and backgrounds across the district to have access to ICT and transport options. SO5 A competitive, high performing economy that is diverse and adaptable. SO6 Infrastructure in place for businesses to thrive. SO7 An educated and skilled workforce with less economic disadvantage and a good match with the needs of the business sector. SO8 A thriving Yeovil, market town and rural economy able to attract and retain visitors, consumers and high quality, sustainable businesses. SO9 High quality homes, buildings and public spaces where people can live and work in an environmentally friendly way. SO10 A balanced housing market with a range of affordable housing and flexibility to meet the changing needs of the population. SO11 Effective use and stewardship of natural resources and biodiversity. SO12 high levels of environmental awareness, pride in and satisfaction with the local environment.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 8 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 SO13 Move towards a carbon neutral economy by 2050

2.3 Vision for Milborne Port 2.4 A brief history of Milborne Port Location The Parish of Milborne which includes the smaller settlement of Milborne Wick is located 8 miles East of Yeovil in Somerset, and just 3 miles in the same direction is Sherborne which is in Dorset. The County Boundaries between Dorset and Somerset are on 3 sides of the Boundary of the Parish, with Somerset lying to the North. The Parish extends for approx 4 miles north to south, and 1.5 to 2 miles east to west, and is rectangular in shape. The total acreage of the Parish is approx 3,277 acres (or about 5 square miles). It is situated in the heart of an agriculture district of which in the mid 1960s 2,400 acres were used for Farming.

From the higher vantage points of the village many local landmarks can be seen. On a walking tour of the village, the old Town Hall (the Old Market Hall, arches long since filled in, last market c.1903), the Guildhall next to the butchers shop, with its fine Norman Door and Lion and Unicorn door plate, (home today of the Commonalty Charity Lands, and many more local organizations over the years) can be seen.

Continuing up the High Street and through the Remembrance Garden (once the Fives Court) reveals the Parish Church of St John the Evangelist, the original Church going back to Saxon times, built around 940 AD. To the west is Newtown and in the valley is Kingsbury, with its old Mill. To the East is the country house called Ven c.1700.

Topography The elevation of the Parish varies from approx just over 500 feet along the North West edge, a narrow ridge called Poyntington Hill. East of this, is the North-South valley which runs through the Parish. This is just below 300 feet in elevation. Through this valley runs the river Gascoigne or Yeo, which rises in Henstridge Bowden, with a tributary from a spring at Bradley Head, west of Milborne Wick. It was used for many centuries to run one of the six Mills that were situated in the village for many years. The flow of the river is reduced from previously, as the local Water Board extract water from Bradley Head. This, together with a flood elimination scheme has eliminated the flooding that used to happen in parts of the valley. On the East side is another North-South ridge called East Hill, which is just over 400 feet in elevation.

History Milborne Port was an important settlement by the end of the Saxon times, and coins were minted here in the reign of Ethelred and Canute (878). There was mention of Milborne in a will even before that in (800). Milborne Port was also recorded in the Doomsday Book (1086), which states that hides were being stored and tanned in the village.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 9 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 The village takes its name from a combination of words Mill and Borne, (meaning stream or torrent), with Port being added much later after Saxon times, and meaning town or borough. Milborne Port lost its town status in the reform act of 1832 when it ceased to be a parliamentary constituency.

The river Gascoigne that runs through the heart of the village was the main source of power in the village being used to run the 6 mills that were situated on its banks. The mills paid a large part in the village’s early prosperity before the tine of the Doomsday Book. Wool, hosiery, and flax industries were an important part of the village’s early history. Between 1688 and 1818 there were 13 hosiers and stocking makers active in the village. Between 1671 and 1816 there were 16 men employed as linmen, linen weavers, or linsey weavers. Manufacturers of dowlas, (a coarse linen cloth), and ticks (cloth to cover mattresses) were said in 1788 to have given employment to most of the poor of the village. Later the tanning factories were to be situated on the banks of the river. In the 1780s the flax mills took over, and there were perhaps 3 mills. There were also large ponds situated near the run of the river, where the flax was soaked. Large quantities of flax were grown in the Parish, which in the 1700s was twice the size of our present parish. The finished product was used for rick or sailcloth. The last mention of the flax industry in the village was just after the 1st World War. The aircraft division of Petters (now Westlands) could probably have used linen from the local flax, for the wings and fuselage covering World War I aircraft.

Before the gloving industry started in the village around 1810, hides had been processed for many years, and used for boot and shoes, and for horse saddles and harnesses. The gloving industry started in earnest around 1810, and ran alongside the declining flax industry for many years. Up to the late 1800s there were many small house size glove factories operating in the village. However, with the arrival of Thos Ensor, and Silas Dykes in the later part of the 1800s, gloving increased in importance though suffering many peaks and troughs over the years. During the mid 60s there were around 700 people still employed, either full time or part time in the village.

The late 1900s saw the gradual closing down of the local glove industry, the last factory closing in 1970. In 2009 the site of the last mills are being developed with new mixed housing projects.

Agriculture has also sustained employment for many over the centuries, but has suffered many lows and highs. In the mid 1960s agriculture employed some 45 people, but perhaps only 15/16 now.

2.5 Milborne Port today The village is mainly residential with convenient road connections to a number of industrial centres (12) all within10-15 minute travel time. There are also four railway stations within this travel time, giving access to east/west and north/south services.

A scheduled bus service provides hourly transport to Sherborne and Yeovil to the west and Wincanton and Stalbridge to the East

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 10 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 The village streets and lanes are narrow, are set on a largely Saxon street plan which are unsuitable for use by large articulated vehicles.

There is a thriving service industry with 70 small businesses operating in the village, most with fewer than 5 employees. The total work force (economically active residents) of the village is around 1300 of which 90% work away from the village. The retail sector has dwindled to only a few shops.

There continues to be considerable infill housing development though the last major increase in housing was in the late 1960’s,

The village is populated by a mixture of residents, some who have lived in the village for generations through to others who have and continue to join the community in recent times.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 11 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 3 Process followed Under the auspices of the Parish Council, members of the community were invited to form a steering committee to develop the plan. As it behoves such a group to consider the views of all the community, the initial process was to issue a questionnaire (see p29) to elicit views from as many of the community who wished to be involved. Roughly 15% of the village population responded. The responses provided areas of interest for further study and it was decided to split the work into key areas of economy , environment and community . Although such a split suggests the issues are unrelated, it was clear that many aspects are intertwined.

An economic study of the village environment by an independent consultant followed (see p114) and his report provided input for a focus group meeting to which a random sample of households were invited to attend and develop ideas further.

On the environment, the initial questionnaire was followed up with observations (evidence gathering) and study of key issues. For the community area, a further questionnaire targeting all known social groupings in the villages was produced (see p98). Additionally, individual interviews with and calls to a variety of faith leaders (see p104) sought to complement the picture of current village life. These studies were followed up with a further focus group meeting considering primarily these issues.

From all this work, a draft document was produced which contained a range of actions and this was brought forward to two village consultation meetings inviting all in the village to contribute to the plan.

At all stages of consultation, the steering committee invited others to join their ranks, so that as many views as possible could be considered.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 12 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 4 Findings and Issues

4.1 Economy 4.1.1 Introduction Residents of the village benefit from a good range of local services; a GP surgery which moved to new, bigger premises in the village in late summer 2009, pharmacist, shops, library, school, garden centre, post office, vet, garage, pubs and clubs – all of which provide employment for local people. But the village has lost several much-valued services over the years. Some people still mourn the loss of the bank a few years ago, and the baker in 2003. Businesses that do not own the building they occupy may become vulnerable as house prices increase. Little wonder that many in the village welcome the additional retail space that is planned in the tannery redevelopment.

In all there are estimated to be about 70 businesses in Milborne Port, many of which are owned by, or employ, local people and buy some local goods and services.

4.1.2 The Nature of Milborne Port Businesses There is a good spread of businesses in Milborne Port, with no over dependence on one sector or another, and their distribution is broadly similar to the rest of South Somerset. For a rural area, relatively few are employed in agricultural work. Although 22% of businesses are from the “Construction” sector, local builders tend to be small in scale [1]. Most of them are smaller, one man, enterprises that work together in an effective informal network. Similarly, the “Catering and accommodation” sector seems proportionately large, but it includes several seasonal bed and breakfast establishments. Newer, IT based businesses are well represented in the village [1]. This broad spread promises some resilience to changes in the economy.

Two thirds of the businesses interviewed employ less than 5 people, and nearly all the others employ between 5 and 20 people. Most staff employed here work full time, however, casual and seasonal work is also provided [1].

Recent attempts to form a Milborne Port Business Association have not been successful, and neither was there a great appetite for one amongst local business during the business survey [1]. Such an organisation could represent the village’s economic requirements to, for example, South Somerset District Council and other agencies where an independent voice of local business is required.

The potential support that good Information and communication technologies (ICT) can offer local business in rural communities seems to be bearing fruit. Broadband has opened up new business opportunities that many businesses, large and small, in Milborne Port, actively exploit.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 13 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 4.1.3 Local Multiplier (LM3) The more that money received locally is spent locally, the better it is for the local economy. The 2009 business survey attempted to quantify this by measuring the “local multiplier” (LM3) and gauge if, and how, it might be increased.

The developers of the LM3, the New Economic Foundation, said, “The issue is not necessarily that too little money flows into a neighbourhood. Rather, it is what consumers, public services and businesses do with that money. Too often it is spent on services with no local presence, and so immediately leaves the area.” [8]

Calculations based on confidential financial information provided by local businesses and residents estimated how many times money is re-spent locally before it finally leaks away.

If a business has a LM3 of 1, then it is re-spending none of its income in the local area. None of its employees live in the parish, and it buys no goods or services here. The higher the multiplier is above 1, the better the business is for the local economy, because more money is being re-spent locally. The maximum figure, if all money is returned to the local economy, is 3. The average LM3 for the 29 Milborne Port businesses providing information was calculated at 1.46, with a slightly higher figure for spending across Somerset and Dorset.[1]

This represents an opportunity to seek ways in which the LM3 can be driven up by local initiatives which may range from a local produce stall, to a review of preferred suppliers for goods and services.

Residents and businesses say that the main barrier to local purchasing was simply that the goods and services they need are not available in Milborne Port. As with employment, people look to Sherborne, Yeovil, and other local towns for their needs. [9] [10]

4.1.3.1 Support to Services The economic survey shows that there is a large list of business services in Milborne Port. Inevitably with such a diverse list, there is variety in what these businesses need in order to thrive. Some desire larger premises either to expand their business or for storage, where others see no need for this.

Although during the business survey, the value of local spending was apparent to local businesses, the value of this seems to be limited in the eyes of the village residents. In the public consultation, where despite being shown as an idea, only 14 people voted for this, whilst in the environment part of the display, many villages voted for improved self-sufficiency without realising it would seem, that these are two sides of the same coin. Local spending therefore should be promoted in the eyes of their customers and an improved register of business services, available to all residents and regularly updated would help to promote this.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 14 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 4.1.4 Retail The prosperity of the local retail sector is visible on the High Street. Over the years, the number of retail outlets has declined and currently sits at a minimum level of self-sufficiency. A review of consumer goods and services available in Milborne Port highlighted many unmet needs. Every recent survey of local residents shows that they would like more local shops and greater variety. However, this enthusiasm must be matched by a commitment to support local shops if they are to be viable commercial enterprises and not a social convenience.

Most shops remain at their historical location - the High Street – but as the A30 becomes busier, it becomes a less attractive environment for the shopper. Car parking is seen by some to be a problem, even though the East Street and Weighbridge car parks are available nearby. The draw of a new retailer on the tannery site, and the migration of the surgery, will tend to reduce footfall still further. In several surveys the Post Office and the Library are seen locally as important destination services that must not be lost from the High Street. [10] [13]

The local charity Commonalty owns several shop buildings and meets their social purpose by maintaining rents at a relatively low level to retain shops in the village

4.1.4.1 Retail Opportunities Recent changes, with the exception of the proposed new supermarket have all tended to reduce the retail opportunities. Some premises vacated by the closure of retail outlets remain empty, though the tendency is to convert these to residential use as this has greater monetary value. This trend needs to be resisted since once converted to residential premises, reversion to business/retail use will be almost impossible hence the opportunity will be lost forever. An appendix lists the currently known commercial sites not in use (see appendix List of Available Commercial Premises p114 Appendix X List of Available Commercial Premises

There is an opportunity for Milborne Port to market available properties to prospective retail businesses, though the choice would have to be made carefully if it is to be sustainable.

4.1.4.2 Destination Shopping With significant shopping opportunities available in nearby settlements, it is unrealistic to consider that a full range of shops will be provided in Milborne Port. It is also unreasonable to assume that a village of the size of Milborne Port will be able to sustain individual businesses without a unique selling point that would allow them to attract business from neighbouring areas. Quality of goods and service would be important aspects to enable new retail opportunities to thrive.

4.1.4.3 New Supermarket Since the closure of the grocery store on London road, the choice of shops for everyday food items has been eliminated, leaving only the Co-op at Cold

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 15 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Harbour. Whilst this provides an excellent service, it does not allow everyone’s needs for their weekly shopping within the village to be fulfilled.

There was significant feedback at the final consultation event to recognise that greater shopping opportunities were desirable. A considerable amount of the feedback suggested the desire for individual shops such as bakers, greengrocer etc. There was an equally divided opinion for and against the proposed new supermarket, though some of the negative feedback was concerned about the traffic impact rather than the concept of a supermarket per se, whilst others were against a supersize market of the dimensions of say Tesco extra in Yeovil. Others mentioned wanting something similar to Dikes in Stalbridge, without recognising that as a supermarket. The proposed new supermarket on the tannery site should, therefore carefully select the provider and ensure that as far as possible, the range of goods matches the needs of the village. Once completed, it will provide a much needed alternative to travel to adjacent settlements for shopping as well as also providing additional employment opportunities in the village. Of itself, it will not, however, do much to increase the self sufficiency of the village in pure economic terms; an estimate is that the LM3 will be increased from the current 1.46 to 1.48. However, as a marker to arrest the decline of choice and to reduce the carbon footprint of the village, its value will be far beyond the immediate impact on the LM3.

4.1.4.4 Farmers Market At the feedback event, there was evidence of a desire for Milborne Port to have its own farmer’s market. (For a definition of a farmers market see http://www.farmersmarkets.net/ ). The nearest farmer’s market to Milborne Port is in Sherborne and is held once per month. Any move towards such a market for Milborne Port would need to consider the most suitable location as the geography does not lend itself to a street market such as are held in many villages in France for example. Since the Sherborne market is held once per month, holding a similar frequency in Milborne Port, but offsetting by two weeks would seem to have the biggest chance of a successful outcome.

4.1.5 Business Premises 45% of businesses in the 2009 survey occupy “small” business premises, of 1000 sq feet or less [1]. This is near the average for South Somerset, but less than several other smaller settlements named in a recent district council survey where similar settlements in South Somerset - Somerton, Martock and Castle Cary - all have established industrial estates that accommodate substantial businesses [2].

At 58%, a small majority of businesses in the face-to-face survey [1] had been in the same premises for at least the last 10 years. A further 10% had relocated from elsewhere in Milborne Port or nearby. The results were similar to those in the 2005 survey [6]. Nearly all (81% of respondents) were generally satisfied with their current accommodation [1]. In 2005, most were “quite satisfied” with the size of their premises and 63% of businesses had felt their business could grow in their present premises [6]. Several small businesses, particularly in the construction sector, reported that although they

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 16 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 are satisfied with their current accommodation, they seek additional lockup storage accommodation [1]. In 2005, 17% of respondents had wanted to see light industrial units developed [6].

4.1.5.1 Use of Empty Business Premises In addition to promoting the use of empty premises for additional retail outlets, the use of empty premises for other outlets such as a coffee shop and/or fine dining restaurant would meet local aspirations for improving these types of services.

However, the use of some premises as a community resource may also be worthy of further study.

In any event, ensuring that retail premises stay in the commercial arena is not something that will happen unless the community takes some action to promote the continued commercial use of premises for instance by forming a marketing company.

4.1.6 Workforce In the 2001 census, 83.5% of residents were economically active, 7.5% more than the national average. This amounted to 1278 people. Of those of working ages, 2.2% were actually retired; the same as the national average [5]. Relatively few are unemployed. In January 2009, for example, only 18 residents were claiming Job Seekers Allowance, payable to people under pensionable age, who are available for, and actively seeking, work. This was around a third of the national average [4]. This suggests that the current downturn in the economy has so far affected the village less than other parts of the country.

Of those in employment in 2002, 12% were self-employed – half as much again as the England average. 10.5% - slightly more than the national average - work from home [4]. Yet data from the 2001 census [5] showed that a lot of people travelled from Milborne Port to work elsewhere. For example, only 12.5% of employed people living in the village travelled less than 2km from their home to work, compared with 26.7% for South Somerset. This implies that for many people the choice is either to work from home or to travel to nearby towns to work.

In the business survey [1], less than half the people working in Milborne Port businesses (including the self employed) lived in the village. Nearly all other employees lived elsewhere in Somerset and Dorset, with only a very few travelling to work from outside the two counties.

From the 2001 census information, it is estimated that only about 160 people from Milborne Port work in the parish [4] [5]. Extrapolating the information from the 2009 business survey suggests that there are over 500 jobs in Milborne Port [1]. There is not enough work in Milborne Port for those who live there – for every job in the village there are 3 economically active residents. This might suggest that many people who work in Sherborne or Yeovil choose to live in nearby villages such as Milborne Port.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 17 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 As far as skills are concerned, evidence from the census indicates that Milborne Port residents are relatively well qualified, with fewer than average people with no qualifications, and more than the average number of people with higher qualifications [4]. A large part of the current working population is made up of professional and managerial workers who commute to surrounding towns. Research of a good sample of local employers suggests that the skills that they require cannot be matched by simply encouraging those within the village to find local employment [1]. Equally, employment opportunities within the village are restricted in depth and numbers and hence real opportunity, especially for the younger generation, lies in the several nearby towns and elsewhere. The fact is that the number of jobs in Milborne Port is three times less than the number of inhabitants of working age.

Because the local plan does not designate employment areas in the village, and the scope for further development of existing industrial uses is limited, the situation is unlikely to improve. If there is a will to retain local jobs, regard should be made to the proportion of industrial and employment land to housing land. Windfall brown field industrial land, if it exists, should be maintained as employment sites. Otherwise, future generations will not have the opportunity to work in the village, which will impact not just on community life, but also on its carbon footprint.

There is some evidence to suggest that local people want to hear about jobs available on their doorstep [13]. Local advertising of vacancies might improve self-sufficiency

A short-term residential increase may cause an imbalance of employment opportunities and increase the pressure on the local infrastructure. Too much housing may result in an influx of retired people together with increased private transport, or overloading local infrastructures such as parking or medical facilities. The policies within the current South Somerset Local Plan support the need to preserve the current proportion of industrial and employment land where these remain viable. The short-term viability of an employment allocation must not blind us to the long-term needs of the future generations.

4.2 Environment In addition to the main sources noted in section 2, policy documents and directives from many government, local government and NGOs have been reviewed. From the evidence gained, proposals for the future village development have been derived.

The evidence collected from all sources gives rise to the following environment for Milborne Port.

Issues arising from village consultations are listed below. Two sources were available:-

A, Key Issues arising from the Parish Plan Questionnaire • More village centre parking required.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 18 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Reduced High Street congestion desired. • Reduced speeding in High Street and minor roads needed. • Concern over narrow pavements. • Concern over poor state of hedges and verges. • More ability to recycle waste and reduced fly tipping desired. • Reducing the quantity of dog excrement desired. • Extension of cycle way to Sherborne desired. • Reduction in traffic noise in High Street.

B, Key Issues Arising from the Village Design Statement • Housing should comprise mixed homes through out the value range for purchase and for rent. New housing should be achieved by infilling spaces rather than extending the Village boundary. No one uniform style should be mandated. • The design statement does not have anything to say on lifetime homes or home zones. Or zero carbon • Pedestrians should take priority in the High Street without directing trade away from the shops. There should be no wide pavements to avoid urbanisation. Effort should be made to create new footpaths and keep existing ones maintained. • A Parish council footpath committee deals with maintenance of existing infrastructure. There are no records of potential for improvements/ extensions. • On the environment the statement calls for sustainable agriculture, opportunistic tree planting particularly oak, well maintained hedges, pollarding of willows, encouragement of variation in gardens. • In terms of the street appearance the statement calls for a review of street signage to minimise clutter, minimum levels of street lighting and concealed services.

The aim of this section of the plan is to use the scenario above as expressed by the local community and the District Council to develop a collection of goals that will deliver a sustainable community with an improving quality of life for all the residents. The key themes that need to be addressed to deliver a sustainable community strategy are:

Strategy (top level development direction for the community) Housing Further development in the village should be low density housing with consideration to:

• Providing homes for life – space for extensions to accommodate a growing family • Adequate garaging and/or parking for two cars and a light business vehicle • Space for an office/workshop e.g. over a garage to serve one-man business • Low carbon footprint – solar panels, ground source heat pumps etc

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 19 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Encourage innovative modern technology (possibly only outside the conservation areas in which there is little room for development anyway.

Transport and accessibility With reference to SO4, all age groups should have access to transport options. Cycle routes, car share schemes and volunteer drivers all have their part to play.

Health and well being Leisure activities should be given high priority to discourage people having to drive outside the village for entertainment; maintaining or extending access for walking, riding etc

Maintain or extend open spaces, sports facilities Life-style considerations should also be a high priority – maintain and extend:

• Social meeting places • Clubs • Allotments and other sustainability activities • Transition village adoption

Environmental quality The area east development plan 2008/2009 states that Milborne Port is the least deprived ward in the district. We are therefore starting with an advantage, however securing funds when we are better provided for than any other parish will require very carefully constructed plans.

4.2.1 Built Environment The village is comprised of two clear areas, the conservation areas formed from the Saxon area and Newtown and the mixed style area mainly lying to the North of the A30. It is a relatively large rural village of nearly 1200 individual residences. There are two major new construction projects in progress. These will deliver in excess of 100 dwellings of a mixed nature. These developments are of high density housing that do not provide sufficient space for self employed people nor do they address the low carbon requirements or life time home issues, there being very little scope for change in such dense developments. The construction methods are of a traditional nature with a reference to 19th century style.

The peripheral landscape study recently released by the district council suggests that another 3.6 hectares of land could be made available for housing. Should this housing be meeting the best in class design standards and provide an environment where business can thrive rather than an extension to a dormitory town with high carbon footprint?

4.2.2 Highways and Traffic Management Through the consultation there have been many issues raised by the community that fall into the general area of highways and traffic management. These and additional matters are discussed below.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 20 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 4.2.2.1 The A30 The village straddles the busy A30 and there is a continuing concern about vehicle speeding and safety. However a proposed safety scheme which would have introduced safer pavements and a prioritised traffic flow in the High Street was rejected as a result of a large petition Circa 2005. Recent measurements have shown that the speed limits are routinely exceeded on the eastern approach to the village and Sansomes Hill. The focus group meeting held on the 27th March re-stated the concern about speeding on the east and west approaches to the village on the A30.

Street Parking in the High Street does reduce speeding and enforces a self- regulating prioritisation in the vicinity of the shops. The footfall outside this area is light so that accidents are thankfully infrequent. Studies have shown that drivers of vehicles adjust their speed according to the perceived danger, roadside parking and very narrow pavements give rise to the sense of danger and speeds are therefore moderate in the high street. In other areas of the village this is not the case.

Complaints have been received from residents concerning noise levels. This complaint is linked to the general dissatisfaction about the level of speeding at the eastern entrance to the village and the problems that occur when two large lorries meet between the top of Sansomes Hill and the high pavement in the High Street. Frequent damage to vehicles and the street side has occurred because of large commercial vehicles being unable to pass. No quantative data concerning noise levels has been obtained.

4.2.2.2 Minor roads to other commercial centres Concern was also expressed about speeding on roads other than the A30 particularly Wheathill Lane, Station Road and North Street, a petition has recently gained 500 signatures to introduce a 20 mph speed limit near the school, but this was turned down by the Highways department. Checks on these roads revealed that about 20% of vehicles exceeded the current speed limit.

4.2.2.3 Village Parking The need for an increased number of parking spaces in the vicinity of the High Street was raised by many villagers. Random checks have shown, however, that the East Street car park is seldom full. The issue may therefore relate more to disabled parking and access to the shops.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 21 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 4.2.2.4 Pavements and pedestrian access The narrow or non existent pavements gave rise to concern. The pavements in the high street are very narrow.

There are no pavements at all on many of the lanes within the village, these lanes link to a large network of footpaths within the Parish as well as the High Street. The lanes such as Wheathill Lane and Station Road also link to other commercial centres such as Wincanton and Templecombe and are used regularly. For what is essentially a residential village it is important that the residents have safe access to these amenities. Paddock Walk and West Hill are a particular cause of concern as expressed by a number of responders.

About 100 houses are being built which will be surrounded by lanes with no pavement. It is anticipated that pedestrian access to the bus stops on the A30 will require attention as the residents move in. A pull in and shelter on the east going carriage way combined with a mid road pedestrian haven may be a useful way of increasing the perceived danger and thus control excessive speed on entering to the village.

Road crossings at a number of points along the A30 are a concern to villagers particularly the High Street and Crackmore garage. School children are attending Sherborne and Yeovil schools in increasing numbers. The new medical centre at the junction of Gainsborough and Newtown will no doubt increase pedestrian activity.

A footpath committee is made up from members of the parish council is active in maintaining the paths in good order. Voluntary help is used to keep paths clear. Path descriptions are available from the parish council. Any deficiencies or problems should be addressed to the parish clerk.

4.2.2.5 Home Zones As discussed earlier in this report the village embodies an ancient street plan that does not allow for wide roads or lanes and pavements. The village being a rural centre does have to accommodate, horses, tractors, leisure walkers, cyclists, delivery vehicles and cars. Pedestrian access to the High street shops and safety is therefore an issue that has to be addressed. There is little scope for pavement improvement so a novel approach to street safety is required.

Much has been written on Home Zones where residents have the right to use the street as an amenity area and traffic has to comply with this right. The dual concepts of Home Zones, and quiet lanes where all users have an equal right to access and each user has to respect the rights of others would appear to fit the situation of Milborne Port perfectly.

The costs and benefits of implementing such a scheme would require much more time and effort than has so far been given. It is believed however that such a scheme would make Milborne Port a showcase for a thriving rural community.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 22 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Further dialogue with the Highways authority is required together with the assistance of charitable organisations that champion safer streets. The Parish Council should perhaps co-opt a sub- committee on this issue that can engage in a dialogue with the interested parties.

4.2.2.6 Hedges and verges The condition of the lanes in the village is a concern to many residents. The verges are being eroded by large agricultural vehicles and the lane edges are collapsing giving rise to large potholes and dangerous uneven roadsides. This can be particularly dangerous when cyclists or walkers are forced into the verge by large vehicles. Damage caused by large tractors 4.2.2.7 Cycle route to Sherborne There has been a long-standing working group addressing the desire, which was expressed in a petition containing 570 signatures, for a safe bicycle route to Sherborne suitable for both commuters and leisure cyclists. The progress to date has been slow and the initiative seems to be stalled at the time of writing. Sherborne is only 2.5 miles to the west and provides a natural centre for shops and many leisure activities. The Town lies in Dorset so a coherent County plan seems slow to develop. The chairman’s report for the year 2008- 09 of the Sherborne transport action group also states that the commitment under Local Transport Plan (LTP1) that the national cycle network route (NCN) 26 through Sheborne remains unresolved. Despite the large number of signatures it has not been possible secure funding from government or charitable sources or to gain rights of access from landowners. The parish will need to identify more champions for this cause if any progress is to be made.

At the community feedback event, 85 residents supported improved cycling provision. Large centres such as Bristol have organised cycle days to demonstrate interest. Perhaps a call for volunteers to progress this aspect would be a more tangible demonstration of interest.

4.2.3 Public transport In future years increasing price of fossil fuels and worldwide pressure to reduce carbon emissions may force residents to choose public transport as a reasonable alternative to car travel. Whilst bus companies are privately owned only increased use can stimulate more services. However, the village should be prepared for changes and provide adequate access for public transport and improve facilities for passengers e.g. provide bus shelters for waiting and pull-ins for safe use.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 23 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 4.2.4 Natural Environment A detailed peripheral landscape study of Milborne Port was carried out by the Conservation and Design Unit, South Somerset District Council and published in October 2008.

In summary, the village lies within and alongside a valley in gently rolling countryside. The hills surrounding the village enclose most of the dwellings. The countryside around the built environment is mainly privately owned farmland with a mixture of dairy and arable farming. There are many footpaths across the fields with easy access from the village (OS Grid Reference ST 677 186 GB). There is a small tributary of the river Yeo (Gascoigne) flowing through the heart of the village. There is no evidence of significant littering, fly tipping or graffiti around the village. It is generally an attractive-looking village only spoilt by the high density of parked vehicles along the more densely populated streets of the village.

4.2.5 Leisure Environment Village consultations have indicated that residents are satisfied with the public leisure amenities. There are three children’s playgrounds, one located within the playing fields of the Village Hall (Springfield Road), a second with access from the Gainsborough Road, with a third within Bauntons Orchard. All playgrounds are well maintained and frequently used outside school hours. The playing fields at the village hall provide a facility for football, cricket and tennis. There is a relatively new skate park which again is well used by older children and young adults. There is no dedicated youth facility (e.g. clubhouse, café).

The village has three public houses, two of which also serve food. There are gardens at two of these for family use. There are no other restaurants save for a cafe situated within the garden centre and there is a fish-and-chip shop. There are facilities for skittles within the public houses and one has a pool table. Apart from food and drink the public houses occasionally have other activities such as live music, BBQs and quiz nights. There are no other facilities such as bowling, cinemas or a swimming pool: Residents need to travel to Sherborne (3 miles) or Yeovil (9 miles) for these.

The lanes are quiet enough for horse riding but there is no public riding school, again the nearest is at Sherborne.

There is adequate provision for walking both around the village itself and on public footpaths (see above).

4.2.6 Lifestyle With the exception of some one-man businesses and a small amount of light industry providing employment, the majority of residents work outside the village. Limitations of retail outlet availability mean that much of the shopping takes place outside the village. There is a significant retired population but this is not excessive by National demographic statistics.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 24 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 A small library opens part-time. It also provides computer access. These facilities are well used as indicated by the table below. There is a significant call to increase the opening times.

Milborne Port Library use

Inactive Active Other visits (PC use)

Adult 2114 1042 67

Children 675 325 17

Total 2819 1367 84

Inactive indicates ticket not used in more than 18 months

There is a field owned by the Parish which provides allotment areas. This is popular and at present over-subscribed with a waiting list. The annual fee of £18-20 p.a. is very reasonable by national standards. The Parish Council will be providing additional space in an adjacent field once the present letting agreement to a horse-owner expires. Most homes, particularly the more established properties have medium to large gardens and gardening is popular (see clubs etc in the Community section).

Motor cars provide the major form of transport both to leave the village and for travelling around the village although there are a number of people regularly using the buses and cyclists are frequently seen around the village (mainly for leisure activity).

4.2.7 Sustainability There is no evidence at present that either the Parish Council, local authority or residents of Milborne Port are actively engaged in sustainable practices. Refuse re-cycling of paper, glass, and compostable matter is organised by South Somerset Waste Management. There are no organised car-sharing schemes, registers of local producer of food or moves to create a Transition village. Any new property development, whilst complying with present building regulations, shows no evidence of any innovative carbon reduction or other conservation efforts e.g. Hemcrete blocks ( www.limetechnology.co.uk ), permeable paving (Marsalls Paving), ground source pumps, solar panels. Dorset County Council appears more active in this area.

Attracting families of high economic worth that will support the shops and community will only be possible if the village has a successful image as a modern residential rural settlement. In order to create this image, then perhaps a more forward-looking approach could be adopted by the planning authorities. This would enable further development in the village to the following characteristics:

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 25 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • a range of low density housing with consideration to providing homes for life and gardens for growing vegetables. • space for extensions to accommodate a growing family, • adequate garaging and/or parking for two cars and a light business vehicle • space for an office/workshop e.g. over a garage to serve one-man business. • Low carbon footprint – solar panels, ground source heat pumps etc

4.2.7.1 Developing a Transition village At the final consultative event, there was considerable support for the concept of Milborne Port as a transition village, which envisages sustainable living.

4.3 Community 4.3.1 Social Groups There is a larger number of active clubs and societies than many villagers think. They have membership from across the village and beyond, however, many of these groupings are not necessarily well known outside their own membership.

Residents’ Focus Group meetings were held on 27 th March 2009 (at Church House) and 16 th July 2009 (at the Village Hall).

The following is a selection of the conclusions reached at both meetings:

• Several people commented that they are unaware of what is available in Milborne and better publicity is needed. • It was suggested that we need a calendar of public events – perhaps in the post office and on the Web Site. • Emailed bulletin of local events would be useful • A Welcome Pack is needed for newcomers

4.3.2 Communications At all of the public consultation meetings, the issue of communication within the village has been raised, and massively so at the final event in October.

As a result, we believe that an integrated communications infrastructure with multiple channels to market should be created. The following list should be considered as a starting point for creating this:

• The Milborne Port Parish Magazine is appreciated by some but others feel that it is mostly adverts and church news with little of other content, and that it is poorly distributed. Good for finding local tradesmen but could contain a lot more. CommUnity.com in Sturminster Newton has been quoted as an example of a good community newsletter. • Creation of a new Milborne Port introduction package for newcomers, including contact numbers for all clubs and other activities,

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 26 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • A list of local tradesmen and a calendar of public events. Although this is largely available on the website, other channels to produce this are needed recognising that not all in the village wish to find information through the web. • The Web Site (www.milborneport.com ) could be improved – some did not know that there was a Milborne Web Site so it could also be better promoted • An email information system. • Integrated notice boards instead of the current lots of single interest ones) placed in strategic places in the village. • Broadband is generally okay – access and speed

4.3.3 Faith Groups There is a wide range of opportunities for followers of the Christian faith to practise their worship in Milborne Port as evidenced by the interviews recorded in the appropriate appendix. In addition, there are other Christian denominations in Yeovil but little opportunity for other faiths in the village, though there is a Mosque in Yeovil for the followers of Islam. There is little available information about the prevalence of other faiths in Milborne Port and the 2001 census reveals that only one of 1123 occupied households defined itself as not of white ethnicity, though this cannot be taken as a definitive measure of religious preference.

Despite this wide choice of Christian worship, only about 7% of the village could be counted as regular churchgoers of any denomination. Of that, perhaps 60-70% of these are over 50 years of age, whilst for the village as a whole the 2001 census reveals that perhaps only 35% is in this category.

4.3.4 Education Milborne Port Primary School is a central part of the village community. It is located near the middle of the village on its own site. There are currently about one hundred and sixty children between the ages of four and eleven years in the school most of whom live in the village itself.

The Beeches Playgroup is also located on the school site and caters for children from two to four years. The Playgroup children have their own specialised facilities, as well as access to the school’s field and playgrounds.

Once the children reach secondary age there are two main local (LEA) options available to them in addition to several private schools.

The local Somerset secondary school (King Arthur’s) is situated in Wincanton, approximately 10 miles north of the village. The school has approximately 600 pupils between the ages of eleven and sixteen years. The children are transported to school on dedicated school buses. King Arthur’s Community School is a sport’s college.

The second option is The Gryphon School in the nearby Dorset town of Sherborne which is attended by approximately 1100 children between the ages of eleven and eighteen years. The children from the village are able to

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 27 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 catch a local bus to school. The Gryphon School is a Business and Enterprise School.

Yeovil college, located approximately 9 miles away, provides a wide range of courses including A levels, BTEC’s and NVQ’s..

4.3.5 Crime Responses to the original questionnaire in May 2008 identified crime as being a key issue of concern, the report in appendix VIII from the PCSO suggests that in common with much of the country, fears about crime are worse than the reality and the PCSO reflects that the village is very lawful with little antisocial behaviour. One of the keys to keeping what problems there are under control is for the PCSO to establish and keep good contact and relationships with the community.

4.3.6 Facilities for Young People At the final consultation event, there was considerable emphasis in the feedback received that there were few facilities in Milborne Port for teenagers. A previous youth group had failed due to lack of premises and ability to attract leaders. There is a significant opportunity to help these members of the village to become an integrated part of the community if premises can be found that could be permanently established as a youth centre, and equally importantly, a group of leaders with enthusiasm to make it happen.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 28 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 5 The Way Forward From the various surveys, focus groups and the research undertaken, the following template has been drawn up, to indicate current work is already in hand and potential future activities

This Plan aims to: • Support the maintenance and sustainable growth of existing businesses • Encourage the development of sustainable new business ventures and employment opportunities • Ensure a balanced rate of growth for the benefit of all residents whilst maintaining the unique character of Milborne Port. • Support the various community groups active in the village • Make it a welcoming village for newcomers • Ensure that it is a safe village in which to live and work • Encourage the village residents to play their part in creating a more sustainable environment

This plan recognises that we are not starting with a “blank sheet of paper” and that a considerable amount of work has been done over many years by many groups including the Parish Council. In order to implement the action plan during forthcoming years it will need resources from several organisations and authorities and the commitment and support of local residents and businesses.

So the following has been divided into a list of currently planned or ongoing actions followed by a table of actions that form the basis of recommendations from this Parish Plan.

5.1 Planned Actions

5.1.1 Economy

5.1.1.1 Retail • Re-use of the brown field Tanneries site for mix of housing, and retail development. New supermarket proposed on tannery development site • Local charity Commonalty delivers social benefit by letting affordable retail space (page 15.) • To encourage use of local retail outlets, the website www.milborneport.com lists the village shops. • Action 20.1 of the South Somerset Community Strategy is to “develop a sustained and positive ‘keep it local’ campaign/brand by 2010”

5.1.1.2 Services • SSDC tourism team sells a “Blackmore Vale Walk Pack” that includes a walk around Milborne Port. • The website www.milborneport.com contains some tourist information

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 29 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Action 17 of the SS Community Strategy aims to monitor the match between business skills requirement and local training provision

5.1.2 Environment

5.1.2.1 Transport • Safety on West Hill has been discussed between Parish and District council • The new Bellway homes development will incorporate a home zone • Temporary installation of automatic speed monitor planned.

5.1.2.2 Housing • New housing developments on the old tannery site are proceeding.

5.1.2.3 Sustainability • The Parish council will be providing more land for allotment use. 5.1.3 Community

5.1.3.1 Communications • New notice boards are to be provided by the council • PCSO holds regular surgeries to identify issues

5.1.3.2 Social Groups • Some social groups advertise their presence on the Milborne Port website • Milborne Port website provides a directory of services and most businesses are listed.

5.2 Proposed Actions The table below contains the proposed list of actions segregated into the various themes of the report. The first three actions are, however, more general in that they are aimed at facilitating implementation of the plan.

It is intended that the action forum mentioned as a main leader of many of the items is formed by the Parish Council from some of the council members plus other members of the community to steer the implementation process and that this action forum will form specific action groups to tackle individual action items or issues.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 30 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Theme Issue Action Timeframe Led by Other interested parties/those who can help General Ensuring follow up from Create an action forum of Short Parish Parish Plan interested parties to take Council aspects of the plan forward Ensuring follow up from Review status of action plan Six months Parish Action forum Parish Plan Council Ensuring follow up from Update Parish Plan to reflect Three years Parish Action forum Parish Plan changing circumstances Council Economy Car Parking Update signage visibility and Short Parish SSDC location on A30 Council Car Parking Improve East street car park Short Parish SSDC lighting Council Availability of Local Investigate possibility of Short Action forum WI Produce selling local produce at SSDC Monthly WI cake sale Availability of Local Introduce Farmers market Medium Action forum Sherborne Farmers Market (01963 Produce 210758) FARMA (0845 4588420) Retention of Post Office Prepare advanced case to Short Action forum CAPOC resist any future closure (www.postofficeclosures.org.uk) proposal Retention of Business Create register of empty Short/ongoing Action forum SSDC Premises business premises and market these Retention of Business Identify lock up space to let Short Action forum Parish council Premises in village Retention of Business Use SSDC planning policy Ongoing Action forum SSDC/Parish council Premises MC1 to resist planning

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 31 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Theme Issue Action Timeframe Led by Other interested parties/those who can help applications for change of use from retail/commercial to residential use Retention of Business Find opportunities to ongoing Action forum SSDC/Parish council Premises influence LDF to find space for small businesses Retention of Business Retain council ownership of Ongoing Parish SSDC Premises land with potential future council employment uses Poor mobile phone Work with mobile phone Medium Action forum Mobile phone companies, coverage network companies to particularly Vodafone improve reception in Milborne Port Encouraging tourism Make better provision of Short Action forum Local hospitality businesses, local nature and heritage SSDC, Parish council, Third information in the village Dimension Encouraging high street Review opportunities for a Medium Action forum footfall café/restaurant in the village centre Employment Post village job vacancies on Ongoing Action forum Parish council, village magazine notice boards, in village editors/Third Dimension magazine and on website Community Communications Improve village Short Action forum Third Dimension, village magazine communications by editors, Parish council integrating information flow across all channels (web, notice boards, magazine etc.)

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 32 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Theme Issue Action Timeframe Led by Other interested parties/those who can help Social Facilities Investigate premises suitable Short Action Parish council, SSDC, PCSO, for social meeting place for Forum Young residents 11-19 year olds Social facilities Refurbish cricket hut and Short Cricket club Parish council, playing fields provide public toilets committee Social facilities Investigate possibility for the Medium Action Parish Council, SSDC library to expand its opening Forum times Communication Identify volunteers to Short/ongoing Action Parish council develop and keep up to date, Forum a village welcome pack Communication Identify volunteers to keep Ongoing Action Third Dimension website information up to Forum date Communications Investigate alternatives to Medium Action Third Dimension, SSDC current website if that fails to Forum meet current or future needs Communications Investigate with BT, the Medium Action Parish Council speed at which improved Forum broadband can be delivered and promote local loop unbundling on the Milborne Port Exchange Social groups Encourage wider knowledge Short/ongoing Action Parish council, Third Dimension of social groups by updating Forum data on website and welcome pack

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 33 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Theme Issue Action Timeframe Led by Other interested parties/those who can help Social groups Encourage more community Medium Action Parish council events by forming an Forum events/social committee Environment Traffic Management and Develop plan for all roads Long term Parish District council Highways dept and the deteriorating state of and lanes in the village to Council Charitable Organisations and the Transport the village lanes determine a repair and private sector maintenance policy and designate home zones and quiet lanes Development of safe cycle Contact Government and Medium term Action SUSTRANS and local interest routes blocked by local charitable organizations to Forum to groups landlords and spasmodic assist in route planning, include Private sector public support Parish council sub- committee Lack of secure pedestrian Introduce traffic calming Medium term Parish Highways dept,, Charitable access throughout the measures and limit heavy council organizations and the private sector village vehicle access. Consider extend the pedestrian routes through remit of the village Footpath committee Cost and frequency of Consider car share schemes, Medium term Action District council and those public transport Set up volunteer driver Forum interested in social deprivation, organization, encourage Village volunteer force those entitled to on demand buses Lack of community Set up transition village Short to Action Transition village support groups

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 34 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Theme Issue Action Timeframe Led by Other interested parties/those who can help involvement in sustainable initiative medium Forum practices

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 35 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix I Initial Questionnaire and responses During May and June 2008 the Parish Plan steering Group designed a questionnaire intended to gather some initial pointers to matters of concern to local residents. The questionnaire was delivered to all households in the parish and the returns analysed.

The questionnaire had several aims:

• To raise awareness of the Parish Plan • To find out what local residents considered to be Key Issues for the future and so enable us to establish a hierarchy of need for our further work. • To gather opinions from ALL members of the household (each questionnaire had columns to gather opinions from up to 5 respondents).

The following is an exemplar of the letter and questionnaire that was sent to all village households in May of 2008

Help shape the future of Milborne Port

A few years ago we asked for your contributions to a "Village Design Statement" and later asked all villagers for their views in a shopping survey.

Your past ideas have been very helpful. Here's an example: In the shopping survey over 75% complained of a lack of choice, and over 65% said they would shop more in the village if there was greater choice of shops with a better range of goods. These responses were very important in getting permission for new shop premises in the town. So you can see your input really counts.

Now we are going even further with this process.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 36 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 This next step is called the "Parish Plan." This will enable us, the villagers, to play a bigger part in influencing the future of Milborne Port. We must, however, provide evidence of need for what we want to do in the village, for example: Do we need more parking? Do we need a neighbourhood watch scheme etc.

Firstly we need to know what you think are the KEY ISSUES for us to look at.

So this is the first of two questionnaires. This one will help the Parish Plan committee focus on the KEY ISSUES you are interested in. The second one will be much more detailed and will come through your door later in the year.

We want everyone to fill this in. We need the views of all people, adults and children, from 5 to 105. Over the page there is space for everyone in your household to give their views.

Note: the second questionnaire referred to in this letter was not produced as during the development of the plan, it was decided that a public consultation event would be of more value in eliciting people’s views.

Questionnaire

This is what you do…

For each KEY ISSUE give it a "star rating" from 1 to 4.

4 - Very Important

3 - Quite Important

2 - Not Very Important

1 - Not Important at all

Remember everyone in your household can fill it in, adults and children. There are 5 columns to use so 5 people can fill it in. If there are more people than this who want to fill it in, write on a separate sheet.

Here are the KEY ISSUES (in alphabetical order) for you to think about…

Crime (police, neighbourhood watch, CCTV etc.) Countryside (conservation, footpaths, farming, open spaces, trees, allotments etc.) Education and training (pre-school, schools, adult education, courses etc.) Employment (jobs etc.) Environment (recycling, energy saving, fly tipping, litter, noise, air

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 37 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 quality etc.) Health (doctors, dentists, chemists etc.) Housing Highways (parking, pavements, congestion, safety etc.) Services (Post Office, library, telecommunications, Parish Council etc.) Shopping Social Facilities (pubs, clubs, societies, halls, play areas etc.) Transport (buses, cars, bikes, SCAT etc.) Other (please specify)

When you have finished put your completed forms in the boxes that are in the following places:

[List].

If you would like to help with the Parish Plan in any way please put your name and telephone number on a separate sheet (not on this page please). Then put it in the same box, or contact Pam Alexander, telephone 250654, email [email protected]

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 38 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Responses

The following analysis was delivered to the Parish Plan Steering Committee:

1. Locations of boxes:

• Parish office - 83 returns (includes all late returns) • Pharmacy - 27 • Butcher - 51 • Co-op - 64 • School - 5 • Gainsborough pub - 11

2. Total forms returned - 241. 1 form was spoilt. Total useful forms - 240

3. Total number of respondents (i.e. total columns completed) - 429

4. Some assumptions made:

• On a very few rare occasions respondents left a cell empty. We have assumed a score of 1. • On a very few rare occasions respondents gave "mid" scores (e.g. 3/4). We have assumed the low value (i.e. 3 in this example). • On a very few rare occasions respondents have "overscored" (i.e. written "4+"). We have assumed 4 in this case. • All forms were sequentially numbered as the data was input. It is therefore possible to trace a paper form back to its row(s) on the spreadsheet.

5. Range of scores. If a topic had been scored "1" by all 429 respondents it would score 429. If a topic had been scored "4" by all 404 respondents it would score 1716. These are therefore the minimum and maximum scores.

Scores: Highways 1490 Shopping 1457 Environment 1418 Services 1416 Crime 1386 Countryside 1361 Health 1285 Transport 1274 Housing 1179 Social 1165 Employment 1153

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 39 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Education 1074

Respondents also identified specific issues in more detail. These are listed in the following table.

Highways parking problems 31 traffic (new housing) 20 speeding / high st. 15 high st congestion 12 repairs 9 traffic calming 6 clear verges / hedges 5 high st. crossing 5 general congestion 4 high st pedestrian danger 4 north st (school) speeding 4 narrow high street 3 poor pavements 3 blocked drains 2 tractor too large / speeding 2 access problems 1 crackmore bus stop crossing 1 high street pavements too narrow 1 no parking restrictions 1 paddock walk one-way 1 self regulates 1 Shopping need more / choice 36 supermarket needed 8 keep current 6 general store needs improving 4 greengrocer needed 4 bakers needed 3 grocer needed 3

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 40 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 café needed 2 farm shop needed 1 no supermarkets 1 shops enhance village spirit 1 Environment litter / do litter pick 17 recycle card and plastic needed 17 fly tipping 12 recycle facilities needed 6 clear verges / hedges (comments 5 usually under highways) dog mess 4 remove graffiti (promptly) 4 air quality / smells 3 noise 3 recycling good 2 sweep roads / street cleaning 2 barking dogs 1 collectors leave rubbish 1 motorbikes in field - wick rd 1 stop pub late night opening (noise? 1 litter?) waste collection good 1 Services keep post office 44 keep/enlarge library 19 keep all services 3 banks 1 improve broadband speed 1 more needed with new housing 1 Crime visible police 19 petty crime and vandalism 16 improve police response / response 6 time

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 41 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 no cctv 6 remove graffiti (these comments 4 copied from "environment") extra police 4 burglary problem 3 neighbourhood watch needed 3 pub close problems /late night anti- 3 social behaviour youth problems 3 continue community police 2 drinking problems 2 no problems, community police good 2 theft 2 anti-social behaviour 1 better lighting needed 1 crime levels are low 1 report crimes in parish mag 1

The next step is to select which of these topics to choose. We have put them in a graphical form to see if there is a obvious "step" point. There is not. The decline in scores is reasonably gradual. So we must simply decide, for now, on the top 3, or 4, or 5.

A further analysis was undertaken to break down the forms into groups based on the number of respondents per household. It was thought that this might reveal some differences, as “single respondent” households might have differing views from those with “multiple respondents”. The results were as follows:

Households with one respondent accounted for 41.91% of the survey being 101 forms

Data Total Shopping 361 9.64% Highways 358 9.56% Services 341 9.11% Crime 337 9.00% Environment 337 9.00% Countryside 317 8.47%

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 42 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Transport 312 8.33% Housing 298 7.96% Health 294 7.85% Employment 275 7.35% Social 268 7.16% Education 246 6.57%

Households with two respondents accounted for 46.89% of the survey being 113 forms

Data Total Highways 784 9.44% Shopping 783 9.43% Services 751 9.04% Crime 749 9.02% Environment 741 8.92% Countryside 731 8.80% Health 700 8.43% Transport 684 8.24% Social 615 7.40% Employment 605 7.28% Housing 605 7.28% Education 558 6.72%

Households with three respondents accounted for 4.56% of the survey being 11 forms

Data Total Services 112 9.60% Highways 111 9.51% Countryside 108 9.25% Environment 106 9.08% Shopping 104 8.91% Health 97 8.31% Transport 93 7.97%

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 43 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Crime 89 7.63% Employment 89 7.63% Housing 87 7.46% Social 86 7.37% Education 85 7.28%

Households with four respondents accounted for 4.15% of the survey being 10 forms

Data Total Environment 133 10.11% Countryside 126 9.57% Highways 123 9.35% Services 116 8.81% Crime 112 8.51% Shopping 108 8.21% Social 105 7.98% Housing 104 7.90% Health 102 7.75% Education 99 7.52% Employment 95 7.22% Transport 93 7.07%

Households with five respondents accounted for 2.49% of the survey being 6 forms

Data Total Highways 114 10.13% Shopping 101 8.98% Environment 101 8.98% Crime 99 8.80% Services 96 8.53% Transport 92 8.18% Health 92 8.18% Social 91 8.09%

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 44 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Employment 89 7.91% Education 86 7.64% Housing 85 7.56% Countryside 79 7.02%

Report Back The results of this first survey were fed back to villagers via a report on the Parish Council notice board, the Parish Magazine, the Milborne Port website and a press release (published) in the local free paper: the Blackmore Vale Magazine. The articles are summarised as follows:

Text for Parish Magazine and notice boards Thank you to everyone who completed the recent Future of Milborne Port Questionnaire, and to those of you who volunteered to help with the newly formed Parish Plan steering Committee. As we said in the questionnaire, this is just the first step. We wanted to find out what you think are the key issues for Milborne Port over the next decades.

Here are the results:

241 households responded. This was 429 individuals. A very pleasing response.

You could put a score from 1 to 4 against each of the key issues. If a topic had been scored "1" by all 429 respondents it would score 429. If a topic had been scored "4" by all 429 respondents it would score 1716. These are therefore the minimum and maximum scores.

These are the scores for each key issue, in rank order:

Highways 1490, Shopping 1457, Environment 1418, Services 1416, Crime 1386, Countryside 1361, Health 1285, Transport 1274, Housing 1179, Social 1165, Employment 1153, Education 1074.

This list can now be used by the steering committee to do some more detailed work. We will concentrate on the issues that came top of the list and look in more detail at what your needs and concerns are, and what it might be possible to do.

You'll hear more from us later in the year.

The Steering Committee is just a group of interested people and we've only just started this project. If you could help in any way please contact Pam Alexander, telephone 250654, email [email protected].

Tony Drummond Parish Plan Steering Committee Chairman

Press Release (text for Blackmore Vale Magazine.)

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 45 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Topic Milborne Port Parish Plan - Questionnaire Results

Contact Pam Alexander, 01963 251063, [email protected]

Text Milborne Port has recently completed the first stage of its Parish Plan. The newly formed Steering Committee of volunteers designed and delivered a questionnaire to every person in the parish. 429 people returned their forms, a very pleasing response. The intention is to discover people’s needs and concerns for the next few decades. The result was (in order) Highways, Shopping, Environment, Services, and Crime. The steering committee will use these results to do follow up work, and look at each of these areas in more detail, so residents can expect to hear more from them later in the year.

Tony Drummond Parish Plan Steering Committee Chairman

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 46 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix II Economic Analysis This detailed report was commissioned by the Milborne Port Community Planning Group to provide material for the Economy element of the Parish Plan (the Overview). It reviews of the needs and demands of Milborne Port businesses and will strengthen knowledge of how the local economy works, and define the travel and skills issues for the local working population.

The report also draws heavily on earlier consultation exercises, and engaged the business community in the village and its residents. Face to face interviews [1] gained useful qualitative data from local businesses. Statistical data was another key source of information.

The work was practically supported by the Milborne Port Parish Clerk and Officers from South Somerset District Council, especially the Area East Regeneration Officer.

Contents of this appendix

Milborne Port Businesses • Nature of Business • Size of Business

Milborne Port W orkforce • Size of Workforce • How far do people travel to work? • Skills and knowledge • Occupation of Residents

Business Premises • What premises do local Businesses use? • Suitable business premises • South Somerset Employment land requirements

Shops and Shopping • Perceptions of the Retail sector • A Business View • What’s available? The CPI Shopping Test

References

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 47 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Milborne Port Businesses

Nature of Business

In early 2009, there were about 80 known businesses in Milborne Port, ranging from small home working endeavours, to a large laundry employing more than 100 people.

The pie chart below shows their distribution by sector. It shows that the economy of the village has a broad base, and there is no overdependence on a few sectors.

Known Milborne Port Businesses, by sector

Agriculture, forestry & fishing Arts, sports & recreation

8 4 1 Catering & accommodation 4 12 Construction Education 8 Health & social care services IT & telecoms Manufacturing Media & creative services Personal services 8 16 Professional & business services 7 1 1 1 Retail, hire and repair

The distribution of the business sectors by enterprise is compared, where possible, with the distributions in South Somerset, Somerset and the UK in the following table.

Compare South Compare Compare Sector % Share Somerset Somerset UK Agriculture, forestry & fishing 5.6 4 4.2 1.6 Arts, sports & recreation 1.4 Catering & accommodation 16.9 8.5 Construction 22.5 7.4 8.1 8.4 Education 1.4 5.8 Health & social care services 1.4 8.6 IT & telecoms 1.4 Manufacturing 9.9 23 15.3 9.8 Media & creative services 11.3 Personal services 11.3 Professional & business services 5.6 13.2 16 21

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 48 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Retail, hire and repair 11.3 10.8

This does not, however reflect the numbers employed in each sector.

Direct comparisons, where they exist, are made with other areas, and date from 2008 [2] and 2005 [3]. They indicate that many economy sectors are broadly proportionate to the rest of South Somerset. Although the “Construction” sector appears to be over represented, the local businesses tend to be small in scale. Most of them are one man, enterprises that work together in an effective informal network. Similarly, “Catering and accommodation” services seem proportionately large in number, but include several seasonal bed and breakfast establishments. The few “Professional and business services” probably reflects the fact that demand for such services tends to be focused in larger centres.

Managers of 34 of these businesses were interviewed face to face [1]. Information was sought on their business needs and impact on the local economy. They came from the following sectors

Milborne Port Businesses Interviewed

Agriculture, forestry & fishing Arts, sports & recreation 3 2 0 2 Catering & accommodation 6 Construction 2 Education Health & social care services IT & telecoms Manufacturing 6 5 Media & creative services 0 4 1 1 Personal services Professional & business services Retail, hire and repair

The largest groups interviewed were in the “Catering and Accommodation” and the “Media and Creative” sectors. The sample closely mirrors the distribution of services in the parish, but not the size. Larger businesses tended to be selected for survey as they were perceived to be more influential on the economy of the village.

Size of Business

Two out of three interviewees employed less than 5 people. 26% employ between 5 and 20 people, and only two businesses (the largest in the parish) employed more than 25. [1]

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 49 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 From the 2001 census information, it is estimated that only about 160 people from Milborne Port work in the parish [4] [5]. Extrapolating the information from the 2009 business survey suggests that there are over 500 jobs in Milborne Port [1]

Size of business by Employees

2

6 10 0 1 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 20 2 over 20

11

Nearly all the 235 employees in the surveyed businesses were full time – only 17 (7.2%) were part time, although this is probably an underestimation. There are casual and seasonal employment demands, and in the last census (2001), of the 1278 economically active people in Milborne Port, 28.4% worked part time [4]

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 50 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Milborne Port Workforce

Size of workforce

The last census (in 2001) found that 83.5% of residents aged 16 to 74 were economically active – 7.5% more than the GB average. This amounted to 1278 people – with many others depending on them. 2.2% of the working age population were actually retired – the same as the GB average. A further 14.4% were economically inactive [4]

Relatively few are unemployed. The last available data (January 2009) shows that only 18 residents were claiming Job Seekers Allowance, payable to people under pensionable age who are available for, and actively seeking, work. This was around a third of the GB average [4]

Of those in employment in 2002, 12% were self-employed – half as much again as the England average. 10.5% - slightly more than the national average - work from home [4].

How far do people travel to work?

The travel to work data from the last (2001) census [5], displayed on the graph below, suggests that a lot of people travel from Milborne Port to work elsewhere. For example, only 12.5% of employed people travelled less than 2km from their home in Milborne Port to work, compared with 26.7% for South Somerset, or 24.1% for the South West. Yet the proportion of people working at or from home is similar to other areas.

In the business survey [1], over half the people working in Milborne Port businesses lived in the village, although this includes the self-employed. 42% live elsewhere in Somerset and Dorset. Very few travelled to work from outside the two counties

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 51 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Distances Travelled To Work (ONS, 2001)

70.0

60.0

50.0

Milborne Port 40.0 South Som S West

Per cent 30.0 England

20.0

10.0

0.0 Mainly from or Less than 2km 2km to 30 km over 30 km other at home

Skills and knowledge

4.8% of residents aged between 16 and 74 described themselves as a “Student” in the census [4]. Although this was less than the England figure (7.25%), it was similar to the local, South Somerset, average (4.4%).

The graph below was derived from the census information. It shows that Milborne Port residents are relatively well qualified, with fewer than average people with no qualifications, and more than average people with higher qualifications [4]

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 52 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Highest qualification attained by People aged 16-74 (2001 census)

30

25

20

Milborne Port South Somerset 15 South West

Percentage England

10

5

0 No Qualifications Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4/5 Other/Unknown

In the local business survey, Milborne Port businesses felt that, overall, they do not have difficulties recruiting local people with the required skills [1]. There were some businesses that were so specialised that they had to either recruit at a national level, or work with others as associates as required on a project by project basis.

Taken together with the travel to work information, this might suggest there is not enough of the right kind of work in Milborne Port for those who live there. But the reality is that there are many more economically active residents than there are jobs in the village, and those who work Sherborne or Yeovil choose to live in nearby villages such as Milborne Port.

Occupation of Residents

Despite the better than average educational achievement, the Labour Market Profile, albeit based on the 2001 census, shows that a disproportionately high number of people in Milborne Port work in elementary or process plant operative jobs.[4]

On the other hand, skilled trades and professional occupations are over represented too - perhaps because such workers tend to travel further to work

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 53 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Employment by Occupation

Elementary occupations

Process plant and machine operatives

Sales and customer services

Personal services Great Britain Skilled trades South Somerset Milborne Port Administrative & secretarial

Associate professional & technical

Professional

Managers and senior officials

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 Percentage

There are relatively few requirements for sales and secretarial posts locally, which might explain why the village residents are under represented in those occupations.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 54 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Business Premises

What premises do local businesses use?

45% of businesses in the 2009 survey occupy “Small” business premises, of 1000 sq feet or less [1]. This is near the average for South Somerset, but less than several other smaller settlements in the district council’s 2007 review of workspace [2]. This is probably because Somerton, Martock and Castle Cary all have established industrial estates that accommodate substantial businesses.

The report’s Table 10c: Size of Accommodation : “Smaller Settlements” and “Rural Areas” [2] is reproduced below, together with the 2009 survey’s findings in the last row [1].

“Small” “Medium” “Large”

5.2.1.1

1000 - 5000 < 1000 sq ft > 5000 sq ft Location sq ft % % %

Bruton 18 53 18 29 Castle Cary 21 76 10 14 Langport 32 52 32 16 Martock 35 50 26 24 “Rural Areas” 89 44 31 24 Somerton 46 38 48 15 South Petherton 19 63 37 0 Templecombe 6 17 33 50 All 273 53 28 19

Milborne Port 31 45 29 26

Suitable Business Premises

A sense of businesses’ satisfaction with their current premises was gained in the 2009 survey [1]

Some Businesses in the survey were satisfied;

• I have the space I need

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 55 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • This place is fine for what I do. I can’t expand, but I don’t want to. • For me, this is a good spot for business. I have a good local trade • There is space upstairs I might expand into

Some were suffering difficulties with their location

• I had a battle with the planners to expand a little on this site • Being away from the centres [of business activity] can be a problem • Parking is a constraint • The planning rules constrained our expansion • Parking is terrible • I’d like to move [within Milborne Port] but I cant find the space Others are less rooted in Milborne Port;

• The building was available, so I brought my business here [from Sherborne]. I could have gone anywhere. • The premises are almost too big – we could move anywhere • I could be based anywhere – I just happen to live here. My sales are mostly online. • I feel very fortunate to find this building – there’s nowhere else to go in village. We would have had to move away if it weren’t for this place • We could be based anywhere – we sell and buy online

A few felt vulnerable;

• Its only the low rent that keeps us viable • There is very little choice in business premises – if the landlord gives up, I don’t know where we could go • There is simply not enough business space in the village

At 58%, a small majority of businesses in the face-to-face survey [1] had been in the same premises for at least the last 10 years. 10% had relocated from elsewhere in Milborne Port or nearby. The results were similar to those in the 2005 survey [6]

19 businesses responded to the 2005 business survey questionnaire [6] by commenting on the strengths and weaknesses of running their business in Milborne Port as follows:

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 56 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Strengths and Weaknesses of Milborne Port Location (2005)

Strengths No commuting Can work from home Close to my customers Close to other businesses

Weaknesses None Distance/transport issues Loss of facilities Not enough local customers

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Percentage respondants

The Business Centre in Clark House, Higher Kingsbury, contains a number of business units. Several of these units had been available to let for some months prior to the Business survey in early 2009 [1].

In terms of premises’ suitability, some 81% of respondents reported in 2009 that they are generally satisfied with their current accommodation [1]. Of the remaining 19% who may become dissatisfied, one will be moving to larger Milborne Port premises within the year. This was similar to the 2005 survey [6] when most were “quite satisfied” with the size of their premises and 63% of businesses had felt their business could grow in their present premises. Several small businesses, particularly in the Construction sector, reported that although they are satisfied with their current accommodation, they seek additional lockup storage accommodation [1]. In 2005, 17% of respondents had wanted to see light industrial units developed [6].

Views on the desirability of a business park [1] were mixed;

Some Businesses in the survey were keen on the idea;

• I’d like to see an industrial estate on the outskirts • It would be nice to see a business park with small workshops • I could do with a building on an industrial estate opposite the garage – we would have to move to achieve our potential • I’d support a commercial centre by the garage with 10-15 starter units • Some small business units in the village would be good • I’d like to see small industrial units on the edge of the village, generating more employment and supplies for all of us • We should identify an area of the village for light workshops

Others much less so;

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 57 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • I see no need for an industrial estate • We don’t want a big commercial estate here • I don’t want to see business premises on the edge of village. They should have turned the tannery into business units • We need slow, organic development – not an estate • Don’t build industrial units on the edge of village – just keep the workshops you have

Some other solutions were suggested…

• I could do with some secure lockup storage space in the village, as long as it’s cheap. • We should have the mix of residential and business uses we were used to. • The Tannery site should have been retained for business uses – or shopping. Every road in the village leads to it

In 2005, 61% of business survey respondents had said that the development of more shops or a café is a priority [6].

South Somerset Employment Land Requirements

Questionnaires for the workspace demand study of South Somerset businesses were completed in autumn 2007 to provide a snapshot of the perceived need for new employment land at the time. Small businesses comprising less than 10 people accounted for 67% respondents [2].

At that time, 52% of respondents anticipated no growth in the size of their business over the next 5 years. But 35% anticipated expansion, and felt that their workforce would grow by 9% over the next two years and 18% within five years. This growth would require a minimum of 7.5 – 10 hectares of employment land in South Somerset, with the majority of demand around Yeovil and Ilminster. [2]

In South Somerset’s Area East, the additional employment land requirement was calculated at between 0.65 and 0.87ha in Wincanton. No mention was made of a need in Milborne Port. Allowing for timeframes for acquisition, design, planning and construction, this translates into an immediate demand for land. This was not considered to be a reflection of the needs of the entire business community, but was seen as the minimum requirement for additional land or premises over the next 2 to 5 years.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 58 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Shops and Shopping

Perceptions of the Retail sector

A Shopping and Services questionnaire attracted 400 responses from householders in Milborne Port in 2005 [9]. A majority (59%) did their main shopping in the supermarkets of Sherborne and Yeovil, and only 16% claimed to do it in Milborne Port. 14% said they do not shop in the village at all. The reasons they gave are shown in the chart below:

Reasons I dont shop in Milborne Port (2005)

Lack of shops to meet my needs

Lack of Parking

Too far from my home

Not Competitive

Supermarket more convenient

Other Reason

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

The outstanding reason was the lack of a range of shops. The types of shop seen as most needed by residents in 2005 [9] were;

• Convenience store or small supermarket • Greengrocers • Bakers • Fishmongers • DIY or Hardware shop • Bank • Delicatessen • Haberdashery

In 2008 the Steering Committee circulated a questionnaire in the village inviting people to raise their concerns [7]. The following shopping and commercial issues were raised, at the frequency shown;

• Keep the Post Office 44 • Need more/choice 36 • Keep/enlarge the library 19

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 59 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Keep current shops 6 • General store needs improving 4 • Keep all services 3 • Shops enhance the village spirit 1 • People commented that the village needed the following shop types • Supermarket 8 (No supermarket 1) • Greengrocer 4 • Bakers 3 • Grocer 3 • Café 2 • Farm shop 1 • Banks 1

The 2009 Focus Group [13] felt that shops and shopping could be improved by;

Improve opening hours. Shops should stay open in the lunch hour when employees may wish to shop

• Another (non pub) place to eat would be good • More local shops would to reduce travel • There is no good restaurant in Milborne

The suite of surveys of resident’s groups done in February/March 2009 tended to confirm these findings [10]

A Business View

In 2009, businesses had fairly strong feelings about the retail sector in the village [1].

Most people said there were not enough shops;

• The village needs to be more self-sufficient • The village needs more shops. And more jobs. • I’d like Milborne to be a thriving market town where you could get all your staples – like Castle Cary. And NO Tescos • Decent shops are needed to attract better staff to the village • I want to buy more locally – but can’t • People without transport need local shops • There are too few shops for the amount of houses

Specific shops were needed by some;

• A bank would be useful. So would a decent stationers • I want to see more shops here. And a bank – or building society. • A fruit and veg shop would bring more life to the village • There has been a steady decline in the number of shops in the village since we came here 20 years ago. A hardware shop would be very useful • I’d use the shops more, but they don’t have what I want. The butcher is

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 60 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 great, but a deli or specialist food shop would be good too. So would a greengrocer, baker and hardware shop • No one sells fish or veg, and the Co-op is too small • I want to buy locally, but there’s really nothing in Milborne Port that my business can use

The Post Office is important to nearly all businesses;

• It would be a disaster if the Post Office closed • The thing that would ruin the village would be the loss of the Post Office • The Post Office must stay – in one form or another

Problems were identified;

• Once the Surgery moves, trade in the High Street will be much reduced • Parking is an issue, and getting worse • The village has outgrown its centre Some solutions were suggested;

• When shops close they shouldn’t be allowed to be tuned into houses • Stalbridge is thriving because it kept its bank. • Our business would welcome village growth. More people = more work • Keep cottage industries here – and affordable homes • East Street Car Park is good – but it could be better signed and lit • Our shops would benefit from better signage

Despite their stated wish to do so, most businesses in the survey felt that their opportunities to buy locally were hampered by the limited availability of supplies [1]

What’s available? The CPI Shopping Test

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is based on a ‘shopping basket’ containing those goods and services on which people typically spend their money. The growth in the CPI is referred to as inflation and is usually measured on an annual basis. But in this case, the shopping basket was used to look at the availability of commonly purchased goods and services in Milborne Port.

In February 2009, the availability of goods and services listed in the Index was estimated, based on visits to Milborne Port businesses [11]. The estimate in the table below also offers some indication of unmet consumer need in the parish.

CPI Goods and Services Yes Partly No

01.1 Food 01.1.1 Bread and cereals X 01.1.2 Meat X 01.1.3 Fish X

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 61 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 01.1.4 Milk, cheese and eggs X 01.1.5 Oils and fats X 01.1.6 Fruit X 01.1.7 Vegetables X 01.1.8 Sugar, jam, syrups, chocolates and confectionery X 01.1.9 Food products (not elsewhere classified) X 01.2 Non-alcoholic beverages 01.2.1 Coffee, tea and cocoa X 01.2.2 Mineral water, soft drinks and juices X 02.1 Alcoholic beverages (off sales) 02.1.1 Spirits X 02.1.2 Wine X 02.1.3 Beer X 02.2 Tobacco 02.2,1 Tobacco X 03.1 Clothing 03.1.2 Garments X 03.1.3 Other clothing and clothing accessories X 03.1.4 Cleaning, repair and hire of clothing X 03.2 Footwear including repairs 03.2.1 Footwear X

04.1 Rent 04.1.1 Housing for rent X 04.3 Regular maintenance and repair of the dwelling 04.3.1 Materials for maintenance and repair X 04.3.2 Services for maintenance and repair X 04.4 Water supply and misc. services for the dwelling 04.4.1 Water supply X 04.4.3 Sewerage collection X 04.5 Electricity, gas and other fuels 04.5.1 Electricity X 04.5.2 Gas X 04.5.3 Liquid fuels X 04.5.4 Solid fuels X 05.1 Furniture, furnishings and carpets 05.1.1 Furniture and furnishings X 05.1.2 Carpets and other floor coverings X 05.2 Household textiles 05.2.1 Household textiles X 05.3 Household appliances 05.3.1/2 Major appliances and small electric goods X 05.3.3 Repair of household appliances X 05.4 Glassware, tableware and household utensils 05.4.1 Glassware, tableware and household utensils X 05.5 Tools and equipment for house and garden 05.5.1 Tools and equipment for house and garden X 05.6 Goods and services for Household maintenance 05.6.1 Non-durable household goods X 05.6.2 Domestic services and household services X 06.1 Medical products, appliances and equipment 06.1.1 Pharmaceutical products X 06.1.2/3 Other medical and therapeutic equipment X

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 62 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 06.2 Out-Patient Services 06.2.1/3 Medical Services and Paramedical Services X 06.2.2 Dental Services X 06.3 Hospital Services 06.3.1 Hospital Services X 07.1 Purchase of Vehicle 07.1.1a New Cars X 07.1.1b Secondhand Cars X 07.1.2/3 New Motorcycles and bicycles X 07.2 Operation of Personal Transport Equipment 07.2.1 Spare Parts and Accessories X 07.2.2 Fuels and Lubricants X 07.2.3 Vehicle Maintenance and repair X 07.2.4 Other Services X 07.3 Transport services 07.3.1 Passenger transport by railway X 07.3.2 Passenger transport by road X 07.3.3 Passenger transport by air X 07.3.4 Passenger transport by sea and inland waterway X 08.1 Postal services 08.1.1 Postal services X 08.2/3 Telephone and telefax equipment and services 08.2.1 Telephone equipment and services X 09.1 Audio-visual equipment and related products 09.1.1 Reception and reproduction of sound and pictures X 09.1.2 Photographic, cinematographic and optical equipment X 09.1.3 Data processing equipment X 09.1.4 Recording media X 09.1.5 Repair of audio-visual equipment & related products X 09.2 Other major durables for recreation & culture 09.2.1/2 Major durables for in/outdoor recreation X 09.3 Other recreational items, gardens and pets 09.3.1 Games, toys and hobbies X 09.3.2 Equipment for sport and open-air recreation X 09.3.3 Gardens, plants and flowers X 09.3.4/5 Pets, related products and services X 09.4 Recreational and cultural services 09.4.1 Recreational and sporting services X 09.4.2 Cultural services X 09.5 Books, newspapers and stationery 09.5.1 Books X 09.5.2 Newspapers and periodicals X 09.5.3 Misc. printed matter, stationery, drawing materials X 09.6 Package holidays 09.6.1 Package holidays X 10.0 Education 10.0.1 Private Education etc X 11.1 Catering services 11.1.1 Restaurants & cafes X 11.1.2 Staff Canteens X 11.2 Accommodation services 11.2.1 Accommodation services X 12.1 Personal care

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 63 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 12.1.1 Hairdressing and personal grooming establishment X 12.1.2/3 Appliances and products for personal care X 12.3 Personal effects (not elsewhere classified) 12.3.1 Jewellery, clocks and watches X 12.3.2 Other personal effects X 12.4 Social protection 12.4.1 Social protection X 12.5 Insurance 12.5.2 House contents insurance X 12.5.3 Health insurance X 12.5.4 Transport insurance X 12.6 Financial services (not elsewhere classified) 12.6.2 Other financial services X 12.7 Other services (not elsewhere classified) 12.7.1 Other services X TOTALS (number) 29 26 29 (Per cent) 34.5% 31% 34.5%

34.5% of the 85 defined groups of goods or services were available in the parish, even if it was provided from outside the parish as in the case of power supplies, for example. In addition, 31% of other CPI goods or services were “partly” available, and the remaining third could not be found in the village. DiY materials and some foods were perhaps the most missed items on the list. [11]

Definitions of the CPI goods and services were taken from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) description found in February 2009 at www.statistics.gov.uk/elmr/04_08/downloads/elmr_apr08_gooding.pdf.

The availability of particular goods or services in the parish was usually self- evident, even if it was provided from outside the parish as in the case of fuel supplies, for example. In some other cases, an opinion was formed on the availability, based on visits to Milborne Port businesses.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 64 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Where the Money Goes

“It's not just where you spend your money that matters. It is also important where the people you give it to spend it.” To explore this principle, the New Economics Foundation (nef) developed a tool to measure the impact local purchasing has on a local economy. [8]

Increasing local purchasing can significantly improve the economic vitality of a community. It also has other social and environmental benefits.

The Local Multiplier

The Local Multiplier 3 (LM3) tool is described by New Economics Foundation (nef) on their website www.pluggingtheleaks.org The method tracks where money spent locally goes. The purpose of tracking and measuring this spending is to identify opportunities to get more money circulating locally. “Communities,” nef asserts, “Can achieve more local circulation of money by strengthening linkages in their local economies.”

The LM3 measures how money is spent, re-spent and re-spent again at the local level. The bulk of spending takes place within the first three 'rounds' of spending, so the money is not tracked beyond this point. LM3 has been widely used since its development in 2001 as a measure of local impact of spending. Most of the uses have related to local authority spending, particularly on projects. The 2009 study was the first known occasion when it was applied to the economy of a community.

Measuring LM3 in Milborne Port

The 2005 survey found that 53% of local businesses estimated that their customers came from “within 10 miles” [6]. The amount of local purchasing was examined in more detail in 2009 to see if, and how, it might be increased.

As part of the 2009 Survey of Businesses, many local businesses provided financial information in confidence to enable a prediction of their local spend by calculating their LM3. In some cases, estimates had to be made to complete the calculation. To do this, the consultant;

• Obtained a businesses’ turnover (Round 1). • Looked at how that business spends its income in Milborne Port - principally on supplies, staff, subcontractors, and overheads (Round 2). • Then looked at how the local people and local businesses who received money from that organisation - the suppliers, staff, etc. - spend their money (Round 3). • Calculated the LM3, to indicate how much impact the business has on the local economy, by expressing the total spend in Milborne Port as a proportion of the original turnover.

A similar calculation was done for the local spend in Somerset and Dorset. An appreciation was gained on where money leaks from Milborne Port, and how

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 65 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 it can be reduced. Or put another way, if and how local purchasing can be increased to the benfit of the local economy.

If a business has a multiplier of only 1, then it is re-spending none of its income in the local area. In theory, the maximum possible multiplier is 3. So the higher the multiplier is above 1, the more the business benefits the local economy, because more money is being re-spent locally.

The Outcome

Of the 29 businesses that provided some or all of the financial information the calculation required, 6 had hardly any (LM3 of 1.0 to 1.2) additional impact in Milborne Port. The best performer achieved 2.13, and the average was 1.46. It varied across the sectors as the graph shows. (There were too few responses from the Agriculture, Education & Media sectors to include)

Average LM3 for Milborne Port Business Sectors

Arts, sports & recreation

Catering & accommodation

Construction

IT & telecoms

MILBORNE PORT AVERAGE

Retail, hire and repair

Personal services

Manufacturing

Professional & business services

Health & social care services

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2

In the calculation, spend by local people (as proprietors, or employees) was a significant feature. Based on the results of earlier surveys, and on discussions with local people in groups and societies, it is likely that the average Milborne Port resident does not spend more than 10% of household income locally, despite their willingness. This had quite a significant impact on the LM3.

A lot of local money leaks out to Sherborne and Yeovil.

Barriers to Local Purchasing

In their “Plugging the Leaks” report, the New Economic Foundation said, “The issue is not necessarily that too little money flows into a neighbourhood. Rather, it is what consumers, public services and businesses do with that money. Too often it is spent on services with no local presence, and so

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 66 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 immediately leaves the area.” [8] With this principle in mind, a discussion of how local spending might be increased was part of the 2009 Business survey [1].

A leaflet was distributed to the local businesses interviewed, intending to encourage local spending. But the value of local spending was well known to them. The problem was rather that the supplies (or sometimes, the specialist staff) they need are simply not available in Milborne Port.

The main barriers to local purchasing were described [1] by businesses as;

• Specialist supplies are not available in Milborne Port • General supplies (such as printer paper, paint, or other building supplies) are not available in Milborne Port • General supplies were cheaper elsewhere • It was more convenient to purchase general supplies elsewhere • Specialist employee skills are not available in Milborne Port • I retained professional services from near my earlier business address after I moved here • “I want to buy locally, but there’s really nothing in Milborne Port that my business can use”

Local businesses certainly understand the value of local purchasing to the economy of the village. But it appears that, no matter how keen they are to spend locally, their ability to do so is hampered by the availability of necessary goods and services. This, in turn, represents a business opportunity.

Scope for greater local economic linkages

If local purchasing is to be a route towards greater sustainability of the village, with beneficial effects on the economy and environment, it is important that local businesses can strengthen economic links with others in the village. There was plenty of enthusiasm for the idea. Apart from the Construction sector, the main constraint was the availability of complementary businesses within the village.[1]

Businesses said;

• I would like to use local businesses more, but I have no real opportunities for that • There is very little I can source in Milborne for the business – apart from local builders • I do buy locally… local people should do the same • It would be good to see a business anchored to the new surgery - something like a nursing services agency. • It would be good to have a solicitor, and more accountants, in village

Where no local suppliers could be identified to meet the needs of businesses, goods or services were sourced elsewhere – this might represent a business opportunity

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 67 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Anecdotally, local residents gave the same reason for not buying more in Milborne Port. Unless a wider variety of goods can be bought in the village, the LM3 is unlikely to increase.

Employing Local People

For many businesses, one of the largest impacts on its multiplier was whether or not its employees lived in the village. So in the 2009 business survey, employers were tested on whether they can recruit locally. The opportunity to do this varied widely. Of the 34 businesses surveyed, 9 depend on fairly, or very, specialist skills unlikely to be found in the village. They tended to be the smaller firms. Larger employers and the retailers felt more able to recruit locally. [1]

There were no employee skill problems for some;

• I found good staff here. They had the right attitude. If they did not have the skills, we could train them. • I am glad to give work to local people – the skills I need are here • We try to take on local people – and usually achieve it. • I like being able to walk to my work

While others foresaw barriers;

• Some people [in Milborne] may have the skills I need, but it is unlikely they will have the necessary experience • It would be easier to recruit the right people if I was somewhere busy like Bournemouth – my sort of employees prefer city life • My sort of employee moves away. I would like to see local families stay in Milborne, where possible. What Commonalty does towards this is brilliant • The low level skills are here – but I work with associates for most of the time. They live all over the UK • I subcontract to people a long way away – the specialist skills aren’t in the village • Not always easy to find staff I can trust

It may also be possible to advertise jobs vacancies in the village in the parish magazine or local website, along with a calendar of local events. Local promotion of local services may also be achieved by these means.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 68 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Action Planning

A SWOT Analysis

The Economic Data and Analysis produced a lot of comparative information. If it is to inform the first draft action plan, it should be brought into clearer focus by a SWOT analysis. Determining the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the economy is a useful exercise that can identify the remedial or protective actions that need to be taken

If we take the objective to be “A healthy and sustainable economy for Milborne Port and its residents”, then it follows that we need to identify the;

• Strengths: attributes of Milborne Port that are helpful to achieving the objective. • Weaknesses: attributes of Milborne Port that are harmful to achieving the objective. • Opportunities: external conditions that are helpful to achieving the objective. • Threats: external conditions that could do damage to the business's performance.

Identification of SWOTs is a useful stage that provides focus in the process of planning to achieve the objective.

Strengths (to Use and Capitalise Weaknesses (to Improve) on)

Growing Population Only 1 in 8 of working population actually work in the parish High proportion of children in village Higher than national average level 4/5 Residents unaware of job and other qualifications opportunities in the parish

Low % unemployment Not all shop types available (need to go outside village for some shopping) Basic Shops and services No restaurant Willingness to purchase locally where possible Little scope in High Street for more shops Some sectors (i.e. construction) network well Parking seen as a localised problem

Opportunities (to Exploit and Threats (to Mitigate) Benefit from)

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 69 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Grant aid is available for certain Low proportion of population without parish improvements private transport (high mobility to go elsewhere for shopping ) District and County Councils are supportive of community development Close to large centres of commerce and work Good broadband service Financially attractive to convert empty Region is a tourist destination commercial properties to residential

A30 provides good transport link Young people drawn away from village

Prioritising Process

To ensure that at the prioritising process, the Parish Plan reflects the community's aspirations and the future plans of statutory bodies, it should have three elements:

• Community feedback and Prioritising Event • The analysis of the information gathered at that Event • The input from service providers of their plans for Milborne Port.

Feedback Event

The draft Milborne Port Environmental, Social and Economic Plans should be drawn together and presented to the public at an event, to allow them to;

Review the themed issues and preliminary projects;

Make any additional comments on issues they feel are missing, in order to confirm that the plan accurately reflects what was of the most concern to the community.

To encourage participants to indicate the potential impact and priority of the issues and/or projects

The last aim will assist with the selection of projects to be incorporated into the final Plan. The criteria used could be:

• Low impact, low priority, does not need to go ahead • Low impact, low priority, but would be good to undertake • High impact, high priority, should go ahead

Analysis of Community Priorities

The Feedback Event outcomes could be compared with the scores and comments from earlier consultations to result in a clear priority for each issue and project. It will not be possible to please all of the people all of the time. There will probably be strong opinions both in favour of, and against, some

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 70 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 issues. All arguments are valid, and any decision should take the fears of those who disagree into account.

The best defence to this is a robust prioritisation exercise. It should be transparent enough to see which issues are more important to most people and why actions are recommended accordingly, with a clear explanation for those who disagree.

Consultation with Service Providers

The revised draft Parish Plan needs to be circulated to relevant statutory agencies and public service providers to ensure that the document takes account of their future plans. There would be a range of possible projects that could be taken forward by a number of organisations, individually or in partnership. The resulting document would be a robust Parish Plan that would reflect the needs of the people of Milborne Port for years to come.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 71 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix III Economic Focus Group Meeting Following the business survey, a focus group focusing on the economics of the village was held on 27 th March 2009. The Aim of the focus group was to elicit residents’ views on their aspirations for Life in Milborne Port.

Selection Method

Personally addressed invitation letter sent to every 6 th entry on Milborne Port public electoral roll (220 letters). Invitees could bring a partner/friend and would receive an incentive, such as locally bought box chocolates, plant, or Easter egg. 42 randomly selected villagers attended Church House. 7.30pm

Focus Group agenda

Welcome and Introduction

Exercise 1. “Vote with your feet”

Exercise 2. 4 facilitated topic groups chosen by preference (Economy, Environment, 2 x Social) considered “ The things that matter to me in Milborne Port ”.

Exercise 3. The same groups considered “How [topic] in Milborne Port can be improved”.

Exercise 4. Facilitators keep topic, and changed group to repeat Exercise 3.

Facilitators feed back main points. Comments/additions from the floor

Vote with Your Feet - Exercise 1

“What’s more important to me about Milborne Port? ……….or ……………?”

Solving the Parking Problem 2 Retaining the Shops 44

Its close to Sherborne 4 I can get my basic needs in the 41 village

A hardware shop 5 A greengrocer 40

The Library 7 The Post Office 39

A bakery 12 Safer Roads 34

Access to nature 14 Clean streets 32

Brighter Street Lights 11 More opportunities to recycle 29

A vibrant place 9 A friendly place 27

Space for local business to 18 Something for teenagers to do 28

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 72 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 expand

Affordable first time homes 20 Jobs for young people 25

Less speeding on A30 21 A bigger supermarket 25

A good range of Jobs 22 A good range of Clubs and 24 Societies

Exercise to select Topic Groups More self-sufficient village 14 Economy group 1

High environmental quality 6 Environment group 2

People look out for each other 19 Social group 3 & 4

The results have been re- ordered by gap, the lesser vote first.

NB not everyone voted on everything

“The Things that Matter to me in Milborne Port” - Exercise 2

Group 1 – Economy

The initial discussion was about the range of shops and local services that are valued and serve a local need

• Post Office for banking, paying in and taking cash out and posting • Butcher – quality offer • Library – computers, ordering, internet access as well as the books • Village School • Garage – mostly for the service and repairs, shop sells some basic motor accessories which would otherwise have to come from Halfords in Yeovil, petrol is handy but can be bought elsewhere once you are in the car • Hairdresser • Co-op – too small to really stock a good enough range but still valued for a daily shop • Vet • Fish and chip shop • Pubs – a good range, friendly and good food • Village hall – lots of events, but acoustics are poor (Moviola no longer run here) • Florist • Garden Centre – the small café is all there is and it is good but another (non pub) place to eat would be good • Milkman – delivery service

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 73 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Opening hours of the shops was criticised by local employers – several close in the lunch hour when other employees are having their break and may wish to shop • Vast range of local tradesmen are well appreciated – can get most things done locally

The discussion moved on to things to do for everyone, including the young and elderly

• Entertainment is available, but more might be needed for teenagers • Clubs and things to do – tai chi, badminton, keep fit, short mat bowls, U3A, reading club (several people commented that they are unaware of what is available in Milborne and it needs to be publicised better) • Sports ground and pavilion – good for local teams and brings in visitors • Play area and skateboarding for the youngsters • Milborne Port Parish Magazine is appreciated by some but others feel it’s mostly adverts and church news and not a lot of other content. Good for finding local tradesmen but could contain a lot more (Unity.com in Sturminster quoted as an example of a good community newsletter). It was suggested that we need a calendar of public events – perhaps in the post office and on the Web Site

Employment and local jobs were only discussed after prompting

• Some people have been keen to promote local employment so that people can walk or cycle to work, but felt that a local employment site had been lost for new jobs to be created • One business had tried to recruit locally first and had put cards in local shops to advertise job vacancies and got no replies – applicants from Milborne Port had then applied having seen the advert in the Blackmore Vale Magazine – it is difficult to give advantage to local applicants if they don’t see the local ads

Countryside and the environment

• The farm is valued as an employer and for access to the countryside – so lucky not to have to get in the car and drive somewhere before walking, walking the dogs and able to get onto bridleways with a horse • Good rights of way and circular routes • Some stiles are a bit of a problem • Allotments

Transport

• The buses run every 20 minutes until 8.20 am and then hourly after that which makes it difficult to get to college courses in Yeovil at the right times • The fares are too expensive – about £6 a day return to Yeovil which means that everyone drives as soon as they can (mentioned by a 17 year old)

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 74 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Someone also pointed out that this also does tend to keep people in the village if the cost is prohibitive but reduces opportunity and access to some of the things that can only be found in larger places – college, cinema etc

Recycling

• Several people feel strongly that plastics and cardboard should be collected – more goods are being put into plastic containers rather than glass • Composting valued, but strong feeling that all garden waste should be collected – would reduce the number of bonfires and the need to drive to Sherborne

Communication

• Broadband is available to most now, but can be slow. There was a difference of opinion on this one – some felt what we have is all right and others felt it needed to a lot faster for modern work and to allow for the future. • The Web Site could be improved – some didn’t know that there was a Milborne Web Site so it could also be better promoted

Group 1A: – Economy

Many of the same things were mentioned and the group also started by talking about the shops and services, but in a slightly different order from Group 1:

• Doctors • Good bus service • Garage for service and repairs • School • Library • Post Office • Butchers • Chemist • Fish and Chip Shop • Co-op • Florist • Newsagent • Hairdresser • Pubs • Milkman – provides a lot more than just milk – social and community services • Public WC • The Community Police Officer is valued and visible and effective and creates a sense of safety – particularly dealing with unruly youths • There is a lack of a warden in the old people’s bungalows that needs to be addressed

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 75 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • There is a sense of historical context and belonging, largely due to the work done by Richard Duckworth that gives Milborne a strong identity and historical purpose.

Places :

• Community meeting places – a good range available and all well used - small hall, school hall, town hall, church rooms • Churches • Village hall is looking tired and needs refurbishment “the village hall is wonderful but is in need of some tlc”

Activities :

• There is a good luncheon club and other activities and a new youth club • Moviola has gone as the acoustics in the village hall are not good

Environment:

• Gardening club • Garden centre/restaurant • Access to the countryside and good rights of way • Allotments are very important and there is a waiting list – we need more • Access to the countryside and good rights of way are appreciated

Communication: Again, similar to Group 1, it was evident that there is a lot more available locally than most people realise and communication needs to be improved

• Welcome pack – with a simple sheet of what is going on was suggested • Parish magazine is important and is a valuable introduction to local tradesmen – but this is often done by word of mouth – quality and value for money • Broadband is generally okay – access and speed • A list of local tradesmen would be useful

Recycling: The group felt strongly that plastics, cardboard and garden waste should be collected and recycled

Employment: This also had to be prompted for discussion.

• There was a lot of support for local employment and for local businesses • It was suggested that Stalbridge Linen is not necessarily an asset – they do employ a lot of people, but they create a lot of pollution and are in the wrong place – the noise can be heard for some way due to acoustics and they generate a lot of traffic

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 76 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Transport:

• Nordcat was mentioned and only after some prompting SCAT bus. • Many did not seem to realise that demand responsive community transport is available • Free car parking is very important and should be kept

Group 2 – Environment

Good things to retain

• Access to countryside, footpaths • Tennis court • Football pitches • Playgrounds • Good Air Quality • Allotments • Listed buildings and conservation areas • Heritage • Open spaces within the village • The development limit of the village

Group 3 – Social

Positive aspects already in MP (to retain)

• Lack of crime • People look after each other • Primary school means people spend key early years in the community • Children mostly walk to school means they know the area & have opportunity to converse • Doctors surgery local (& easy to get quick appointments) means doctors known • People say hello in the street, a friendly place (maybe because it's not too big) • Good local shops & helpful staff • Good pubs - a place to meet • Library the most important hub, social, notice boards, good computers/internet access • A "feeling of place" • Lots of local clubs & societies (WI, Gardening, Sporting things etc etc.) & good facilities (Village Hall, Town Hall, Church Hall etc. etc.) • Good mix of housing & people of all ages & social classes

Group 4 – Social

Question: What makes Milborne Port a good place to live?

The initial discussion was about the community activities that are valued and serve a local need, and the experiences of newcomers

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 77 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 For adults of working age the experiences were good, a welcoming parish with village Hall, Women’s Institute, Churches, clubs and 3 pubs

There was no recommended good eating establishment

There is an informal neighbourhood watch approach and most people were friends with a cluster of local residents who could be depended on for lifts, support during illness and key-holding

The same circle of people tended to organise everything and some individuals would like to step forward but felt there was no opportunity

Cleaner streets were an issue as were issues of relatively fast cars on the A30

Free car parking is very important and should be kept

Societies also mentioned were:-

• Sports (Football; Badminton; rugby; tennis) • Wives Club • Keep fit groups: tai chi and short mat bowls • Gardening Club • Library / reading Group / University of Third Age • Walking using good rights of way and circular routes

It was noted that the Village Hall was heavily booked every night of the week

Communications of note were:-

• Old copies of “Welcome” pack • Parish Magazine • Western Gazette • Blackmore Vale Magazine • Posters • Parish Council website

Several people commented that they are unaware of what is available in Milborne and it needs to be publicised better. A list of local services providers and tradespeople would be welcome

The discussion moved on to things for the young and elderly

Youth facilities Bearing in mind the selection of attendees was from the electoral register, the Youth were under-represented.

• A Youth club exists • Play area and Skate Park • Brownies and Scouts may no longer be running • Sports ground and pavilion – good for local teams and teenagers

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 78 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Facilities for those at or near Retirement • Bridge Club • U3A • Library and Reading Club • Gardening Club and allotments – there is a waiting list, so more are needed and increasing demand is anticipated with current economic climate • Garden Centre • Lunch Clubs • Church fellowships • Milborne Port Opera / Organ recital

Training for employment and local jobs were discussed but needed prompting • Few local facilities existed unless via internet • Residents needed to travel 10 miles or more for facilities at FE Colleges

Housing The main concerns expressed were around the difficulties for young residents given the expense of staying in Milborne Port if they can get a mortgage which is affordable. Therefore housing and flats for younger people is an issue

There was one suggestion for a community orchard / Market Garden

Historic environment • Insufficient attention is paid to the history of the parish including the gloving trade and Richard Duckworth

Transport • The fares are too expensive – about £6 a day return to Yeovil which means that everyone drives as soon as they can Recycling • Several people feel strongly that plastics and cardboard should be collected – more is being put into plastic containers rather than glass now

Crime prevention • The Community Police Officer is valued and visible and effective and creates a sense of safety

Community Buildings • There is a good range available but all are well used - small hall, school hall, town hall, church rooms, Churches • The village hall needs redecoration and improvement but it is heavily used.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 79 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 “How Milborne Port can be improved” - Exercises 3 & 4

Groups 1 & 1A – Economy (drawn from notes) Shops and local services can be improved by;

• Improve opening hours of the shops– stay open in the lunch hour when employees may wish to shop • Another (non pub) place to eat would be good • There is no warden in the old people’s bungalows • Improve Village Hall acoustics (e.g. to attract Moviola again) • Village hall is looking tired and needs refurbishment “the village hall is wonderful but is in need of some tlc” • We need more Allotments - cut the waiting list

Things to do

• More might be needed for teenagers

Employment and local jobs • Promote local employment so that people can walk or cycle to work • Make local jobs more visible locally

Transport • Run buses to make it easier to get to college courses in Yeovil at the right times • Reduce bus fares – at £6 a day return to Yeovil its expensive and reduces opportunity and access to some of the things that can only be found in larger places – college, cinema etc • Promote the demand responsive community transport that is available

Recycling • Plastics and cardboard should be collected • All garden waste should be collected to reduce the number of bonfires and the need to drive to Sherborne

Communication • Several people are unaware of what is available in Milborne - it needs to be publicised better. There is a lot more available locally than most people realise and communication needs to be improved • We need a calendar of public events – perhaps in the post office and on the Web Site • Milborne Port Parish Magazine needs more content. (Comm unity.com, a monthly magazine produced for Sturminster and the surrounding villages and delivered free to all local households in the area was quoted as an example of a good community newsletter). • The Web Site could be improved – some didn’t know that there was a Milborne Web Site so it could also be better promoted • Welcome pack – with a simple sheet of what is going on • A list of local tradesmen would be useful

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 80 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Group 2 – Environment Issues to address

• Footpath or cycle route to Sherborne • More local shops (to reduce travel) • Smell and pollution of farming – but we will tolerate a lot • Noise. More trees and hedges to dampen noise • Litter and dog mess. We need more bins • There is no good restaurant • Bonfires • Motorbikes • Make more of our heritage • Improve playgrounds – more seating too • More bus shelters • Sustainability and infrastructure should be considered in planning

Group 3 – Social Issues to improve or change

• A lot going on, but not everyone knows it • Not enough for teenagers • Too few children's playgrounds & too distant (main ones on the outskirts) • Traffic speed (esp. on the outskirts) • Lorries using housing estates to get to poorly serviced businesses • Narrow or not continuous pavements means danger for pedestrians, and fewer opportunities for social interaction

Specific suggestions for better communications (strongly felt by all);

• Pack of info for newcomers • Local paper (Parish magazine is limited in subjects covered and poorly distributed) • Improved/more comprehensive website • Emailed bulletin of local events • Single, (big?), more openly accessible notice board (instead of the current lots of single interest ones in lots of places) (Question: what resources might be available for this)

Specific suggestions to improve safety for pedestrians & cyclists to make the village even more sociable by:

• Improving pavements (examples include High St "pinch point", various points down Wick Road, A30 by Sherborne House, Paddock Walk) • Preventing speeding (esp. on village outskirts - A30 at Crackmore and Venn, Wick Road, Station Road) • Rat running of large vehicles through housing areas

Ideas left over from "Environment" discussion, but strongly felt:

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 81 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Need for community orchard or market garden • Consider "Transition Town" ideas

Group 4 - Social Some community issues;

• There was no recommended good eating establishment • A cluster of local residents tended to organise everything and some individuals would like to step forward but felt there was no opportunity • Cleaner streets were an issue • Relatively fast cars on the A30 • Several people commented that they are unaware of what is available in Milborne and it needs to be publicised better. A list of local services providers and tradespeople would be welcome • The Web Site could be improved –it could be better advertised • There seems to be an absence of Art classes, Craft clubs or Language classes • There was one suggestion for a community orchard / Market Garden • The village hall needs redecoration and improvement but it is heavily used.

Comments for improvement:-

• Suggestions were made for a calendar of public events – publicised in the post office, Parish notice-board and on the Village website • New “Welcome” pack would be valuable for all residents • Revitalised Film Society • Details of the bridge club(s) which have become residential • Jazz / music events • Judo club

Some issues for the young and elderly

• Bearing in mind the selection of attendees was from the electoral register, the Youth were under-represented. • Brownies and Scouts may no longer be running • Allotments have a waiting list, so more are needed. Increasing demand is anticipated with current economic climate • Few local training facilities existed unless via internet • Residents needed to travel 10 miles or more for facilities at FE Colleges • Since there is a shortage of part-time work, younger people found it difficult from 2 aspects – sparse odd job work to raise money to supplement parental funds and high costs of public transport to Yeovil or other attractions

Housing

• The main concerns expressed were around the difficulties for young residents given the expense of staying in Milborne Port if they can get a

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 82 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 mortgage that is affordable. Therefore housing and flats for younger people is an issue

Historic environment

• Insufficient attention is paid to the history of the parish including the gloving trade and Richard Duckworth

Transport

• The fares are too expensive – about £6 a day return to Yeovil which means that everyone drives as soon as they can

Recycling

• Several people feel strongly that plastics and cardboard should be collected – more is being put into plastic containers rather than glass now

Feedback

Comments from the floor responding to facilitator feedback;

• (Hilary commented that many don’t seem to know where to find out about events/clubs in the village) – widespread agreement • No one’s been to my door asking if I want the Parish newsletter (generally seen as a useful source of local information, but many don’t know how to get it) • Any new building or site should take account of sustainability • Take account of vernacular design

In response to Hilary’s closing question, people would like to be informed of the Parish Planning process by;

• Parish magazine • Link on Milborne Port Website • Posters around the village • Subscribe to an email circulation list via website

Some attendees offered their support and left their email address.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 83 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix IV Environment Evidence Base In order to determine whether public concern was backed by evidence a few spot checks have been made and the following evidence collected.

Speeding An informal check of vehicle speeds has been undertaken covering- the A30/Gainsborough junction, Sansomes Hill, Station Road/Kingsbury junction and Station Road/ Springfield junction.

The checks revealed that the speed limit was frequently exceeded. However the road situation did modify driver behaviour, when visibility was restricted the drivers slowed as on Sansomes Hill and Station Road. The excellent visibility on the western approach to the village combined with the downhill slope appears to give rise to the worst cases of speeding. This section of road has been the scene of a number of accidents over the years.

The bus stop between the Gainsborough and Rosemary Street does at times control traffic speed. Suggestions for traffic calming can be found later in the report. location Median speed Percentage in excess of speed limit

A30/Gainsborough 40 mph 92

Sansomes Hill 35 mph 92

Station Road/Kingsbury 25 mph 14

Station road/Springfield 30 mph 20

Whilst the measurements were being made it was noted that the pedestrian traffic was very low. Other road users did include cyclists and horses and large agricultural vehicles. A longer period of observation would be required to establish probable numbers.

This snap shot survey does indicate that streets and lanes are used by all types of transport even in the heart of the village.

A survey undertaken in June 2009 on behalf of the County on the eastern and western approaches to the village on the A30 showed that 15% of vehicles exceeded 40 mph in the 30mph section with an overall average speed of 36 mph on the eastern approach and 38 mph on the western approach. Travelling from Sherborne 15% of vehicles were exceeding 44mph at the speed limit signs. The complex of road junctions and bus stops is surely a risk area when associated with the high vehicle speeds.

Narrow pavements

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 84 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 The village is characterised by a lane structure that has minimal or non- existent pavement. Pedestrians have to share the road with all other users. Experience shows us that this does not result in accidents.

The traffic speed in these narrow lanes is moderate to slow.

The “quiet lanes” concept employing natural and spasmodic hazards would appear to control speed more effectively than speed limit signs. The following figure shows the extent of the village road structure with no pavement. Milborne Wick has no pavements at all.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 85 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 86 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24

Verges and erosion As can be seen from the earlier photographs, the main cause of verge erosion is heavy vehicle and wide vehicle use. In a rural community engaged in farming with the trend to contracting out much of the field work and to farm larger areas from a centralised unit it is unreasonable to expect this activity to be curtailed. However the danger posed by the collapsed verges and potholes to cyclists and the damage caused to the tyres of other road users has to be recognised. A suitable form of verge reinforcement is urgently required, together with a plan to introduce the solution over an extended period.

Routes to work other than the A30 In the 2001 census it was noted that the median travel to work time for the Milborne Port work force was 15 to 20 minutes or approximately 10 miles. The following figure shows that there are at least 12 industrial centres in this travel to work radius distributed around the village in all directions. It can therefore be expected that most of the minor roads entering the village will have regular daily traffic

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 87 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 88 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 89 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 The long-term aim for the village is to create a residential rural centre with good transport links to the employment areas, whilst enhancing the recreational uses of the country lanes. The concept of quiet lanes needs study to identify the benefits and pitfalls. Quiet lane 1

Village Parking

Checks on the village car parks suggest that they are seldom full. Parking space is often available in the High Street, near the clump and parish church and along North Street towards Coldharbour. It may be that parking is required by the old or disabled; thought should be given to the provision of parking for this section of the community. The concept of “Home zones” and the removal of pavements to allow a more versatile use of the streets near the village shops may be worth investigation. In order to have more quantitative evidence on the lack of car park space, it is suggested that the Parish council collect data on the situation as a perceived lack of space could lead to potential shoppers avoiding the local shops which would be counter productive as the survival of the shops is a key issue to many villagers.

Traffic Noise There are no general noise limits on existing highways, but individual vehicle noise limits are set at 74 dB(A) by government legislation. Complaints can be

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 90 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 made to the Environmental Health Department of the South Somerset Council who should take steps to measure and curb it any excessive noise. Since the legislation applies to individual vehicles, noise from through traffic may be difficult to monitor and control. Nonetheless, engagement by the residents to ensure action is taken by the council is essential if improvements to the quality of life are to be achieved.

Cycle route to Sherborne A review of the minutes published by the Sherborne Action Transport group published over the previous 3 years shows that there has been no progress towards the establishment of a cycle route.

A network of public rights of way and quiet lanes already link Milborne Port, Milborne Wick, Oborne and Sherborne. Some of the lanes are already signed as cycle by-ways. The link via Underdown Lane would connect to the NCN26 national cycle route. No evidence of discussions with national organisations such as SUSTRANS was sighted.

It is suggested that the parish council should re-visit the petition and check the current status. The advent of cheap electrically assisted bicycles could change the methods of commuting over the next 10-15 years.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 91 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix V Community and environments Focus Group Meeting The following are notes generated from Community Focus Group held on 16th July 2009

The group was asked to complete the following sentences:

The thing that I like most/least about living in Milborne Port is

• Like Most • Like Least • • Shops - independent • The countryside • Tractors spreading muck from one end of the village to the other • Rural setting and country walks • Congestion, litter • The character and ambience of the • The A30 and traffic village congestion/ parked cars everywhere • The community spirit, the friendly • Not too many houses welcome • It is a very friendly village • Graffiti, vandalism, irritating parking • Community friendly • The excessive new housing development • Such a good community feeling • Lack of good and regional transport services, busy main road, lack of larger general store • Good range of services – shops, • The lack of shops doctors, post office, pubs • Three pubs • Traffic • Community • No NHS dentist • Community spirit • Not many services • Environment, friendly community • A30 congestion, poor state of lanes • Friendly • Not enough parking • The friendly people • Major developments bringing traffic chaos • Village Primary School • Traffic, litter and dogs mess • The current facilities ie GP, pubs, • Traffic, lack of cycling facilities news agents, school • Living on my farm • Would like annual whole community event • Positive use of river • Traffic congestion in village

• • Lack of amenities, shops etc • • Need more businesses, supermarket

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 92 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • • The District and County Council not listening to the wishes of the community (as requested by the Parish Council) • • The large lorries • • Only one (excellent) grocery small shop – we need 2 for competition • • Not enough for teenagers to do • • Lack of medical cover at weekend • • The traffic on the A30 • • Too much bureaucracy • • Traffic congestion and speed on station road • • Heavy lorries which travel through and pollute the village • • Interference from bureaucrats • • Lack of community spirit • • Lack of friendship • • Lack of large supermarket • • Seeing cars parked on road at crossroad near Co-op

Good News Stories/Community Aspirations Groups were asked to envision a future and to think of good news stories that may appear in future edition of local paper. They started looking at themed (in bold) stories but moved on to broader issues.

Access to Education and training

• Owner of Ven house give £1 million to MP for the Community (how to spend) • More sheltered (new) housing • Cricket hut – showers, nets, equipment • Transport to and from (where ever) • New school sports facilities available to all.

Key issue identified

• Supermarket Access • Planners to walk village • Pavements

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 93 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Parking adequate • Traffic route (1 way) • Access road changes • Lorry access? • Traffic control/ parking • Paddock Walk/ West Hill • Higher Kingsbury/ Wick Road • Congestion – Manor Road • Pay – park and Surgery Gainsborough Drive • “Stretch” from school / High St/ GP Surgery • Shopping Precinct Needed • A Larger Co-op • A fair-trade Supermarket • Fair-trade begins at home

Story

New School to coverage age range to seniors. Plus lifetime earning

Things that need to happen/issues that need to be dealt with to help these happen

• Talk to Carbon Trust. Carbon Offsets • Mobilise P.T.A and Governors • Council to adopt pro- active plan • Parish Plan to draft road plan • Elect chairman and research committee • Remove the barriers to volunteer • Company sponsorship for apprentices

Environment and Transport Positive News Stories

• “Dentists come to village” • “Bakery comes to Village” • “Café opens on High Street” • “Tractor road damage mended” • “Bypass opens” • “New Sheltered Housing” • “New Cricket Hut” • ”New Shopping Centre” • “Balance between Agricultural Business and the Community” • “Underground car park opens car parking” • Supermarket Access Solved • “Local Farm Donates land for community allotments”

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 94 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 “Milborne Port declared Carbon Neutral”

Things that need to happen/issues that need to be dealt with to help these happen

Traffic Flow

• Widen road for pavement • Clear traffic routes • Parking adequate

Traffic Speed

• Community Stingers • Speed bumps • Common sense • Cycle lanes • Balance between agricultural businesses and the village community

Environment

• Community art • Maintain and develop footpath network • Green community centre – village green • Maintain the recreation ground to high standard.

Allotments

• Waiting list of 13 currently • Need more at other end of village • Youth allotments

Car Parking

• On street • Front gardens • Small new allocated areas • New developments should provide adequate parking • Community transport (SCAT bus)

Policing and Community Safety Good News Story

“Milborne to Sherborne cycle way celebrates 15 th year”

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 95 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Things that need to happen/issues that need to be dealt with to help these happen

• Negotiate with Sherborne Estate Manager • SSDC to provide all contribution (+WDDC) • Permissive Right of Way • Contribution from Sustrans

Good News Story

“Neighbourhood Watch Scheme for all in Milborne”

Things that need to happen/issues that need to be dealt with to help these happen

• Sports clubs (football for the young ones) • Community Theatre • Promote what is available • Clubs, events • (website and parish magazines) • Welcome pack • CCTV • Neighbourhood watch

Housing and Community Facilities Good News Stories

• Village pleased to have services that can now adequately the resident community • Halt called to further development (housing) • Free Bus Travel • MP declared drug free – resulting from better policing – local police officer has been a great success • MP celebrates opening of new High Street Shops • MP youth Group receives award for community services • Owner of Ven House gives £1.000.000 to Milborne Port for the Community • Community Theatre opens with young cast • Activities and Events for teenagers • Bus fares for under 16 fall to an affordable level. • Storage of club equipment. • Young form group to train older members of the community in IT • Older members of community teach younger members traditional skills

Health

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 96 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Good News Stories

• Asthma levels hit low point since A30 Bypass opened • Subscription charges abolished • M.Port – Sherborne cycle route 10 th Anniversary • M.Port opens new fitness centre • Tennis courts open to all • M. Port community care scheme adopted nationwide • Clean pavements achieved due to proactive dog warden • Health centre expands to be new cottage hospital with brand new Health and Dental Centre • Healthy food shop, restaurant and farmers market opens in M.Port • New school and integrated play group and youth centre opened • South Somerset Oyster card available to all • New Residential Home

Things that need to happen/issues that need to be dealt with to help these happen

• Local PR campaign to lobbly Councils, NHS trusts • Get doctors on side • Raise Level of community nursing • Promote more out patient activity

Story

New Fitness Centre opened

Things that need to happen/issues that need to be dealt with to help these happen

• Private sponsorship • Local sports stars to raise profit • Community lead fundraising • Lottery • Charitable Donations • Form company

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 97 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix VI Community Groups

Clubs Questionnaire

Bill Deakin, August 2009

During May and June a two-part questionnaire was distributed to clubs and societies in Milborne Port by Susan Boyce, John Oldham and Bill Deakin. The following Clubs were included:

• Badminton 1 (Tuesday Evening) • Badminton 2 (Wednesday) • Badminton 3 • Beeches Playgroup • Bellringers • Brownies • Cricket • Cubs/Beavers • Football • Gardening • Keep Fit • Martial Arts • Milborne Port Opera • Music Appreciation (Sherborne U3A) • Netball • Rosemary Conley Slimming & Salsa • Royal British Legion • Sewing • Short Mat Bowls • Springfield Toddlers • Tai Chi • Tennis • Wives Group • Women’s Institute

Responses were received from those groups shown in bold.

Some clubs (e.g. Rugby, a 4 th Badminton Group) were found to be defunct. In addition the following groups in the village were identified, but not surveyed at this time: Reading Group, Constitutional and Sports Club, Tuesday Lunch Club. It was discovered that there is, unsurprisingly, no single, reliable, source of information about functioning clubs and societies.

A summary questionnaire was sent to each club chairperson/leader, with ten additional detailed questionnaires for club members. The intention of the questionnaires was to “gain a better insight into the way in which the various clubs and societies bring a sense of community to the village and what interaction there is between them”.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 98 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 112 questionnaires were returned, and the results analysed in the form of a table and 4 summary charts.

Number of: Clubs 25 Member Returns 96 Male Members 36 Female Members 58 Age <25 10 Age 25-40 17 Age 40-60 17 Age >60 50 Live in MP 78 Live Outside MP 17 Members who attend: 0 other clubs 48 1 other clubs 26 2 other clubs 13 3 other clubs 6 4 other clubs 1 5 other clubs 1 6 other clubs 1

Summary charts and brief conclusions

1. Comparison of gender of club members

Comment: more women attend clubs and societies than men. This should be read along with graph 3. Some of this disparity can perhaps be explained by the fact that most club members are over 60, and women tend to live longer than men.

2. Home address of club members

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 99 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24

Comment: Unsurprisingly most members live in Milborne Port, though some clubs attract members from outside.

3. Age profile of club members

Comment: The majority of club members are over 60. The proportions here may largely reflect the amount of leisure time available to each group, though with this in mind the <25 slice may be smaller than expected.

4. Members who attend other clubs

Comment: An idea frequently heard is that a small hard-core group of very active residents that belong to many clubs. This graph seems to suggest that this is not true, with most members belonging to just one club.

Notes to Data Source

• The spreadsheet on which this text summary is based is available on request: • These notes should help with interpretation of the raw data:

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 100 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • There are 4 “tabs” to the workbook: Chair, Members, Club Codes and Stats • Each row in the Chair and Members tabs was given a unique record number (currently 1-112) and this was pencilled on the original forms in case we want to look back to the paper originals. • Each known club was given a code number. In addition colour codes were used to indicate No Returns and Newly Discovered clubs. • For speed, certain simple entries were used, e.g. Meetings per year were simplified to 12 (monthly) 50 (weekly) and so on. The age boxes on the questionnaires gave ranges. These have been input as the bottom figure (i.e. “25 or under” is 0, “25-40” is 25, “40-60” is 40, and “>60” is 60). • No statistics were produced for the Chairpersons questionnaire, there is too little data here to make it significant. • Statistics for the Members questionnaires is presented here as simple pie charts. • Finally, although there were 96 Member returns, if sometimes the “pies” do not add to this figure this indicates data missing (e.g. sex not given, age not given).

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 101 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix VII Report from PCSO Milborne Port has no dedicated police presence but does have a police community support officer. The current PCSO (Mandy Forsey) has been interviewed and her views about the village are reflected in the following.

Introduction:

Mandy Forsey has been our PCSO SINCE July 2009. Generally the village is considered very lawful with low levels of antisocial behaviour or crime. Where these do occur they are known to the PCSO and she regularly monitors activity in known ‘hot spots’. Her activity is necessarily limited by knowledge and co-operation from the community is essential. Observed crime and especially any anti-social activity need to be reported to her. She is actively working to establish neighbourhood watch schemes around the village.

Antisocial behaviour:

There have been a few recent complaints about noise and antisocial behaviour. The PCSO is working with the residents concerned and feels she is making progress in reducing the problems.

The skate park is being responsibly used with no reported problems e.g. bullying, vandalism. There is no evidence of any drug use activity at the site or indeed at any of the other playground areas.

Crime around the village:

There have been no recent house burglaries. Items have been stolen from two garden sheds (fishing equipment)

There has been no car theft and only one report of car vandalism (a broken wing mirror).

There have been no reports of muggings or assaults.

There is little graffiti around the village (with the exception of the village name signs)!

There have recently been reports of produce being stolen from the allotments. The culprit has been identified and the problem is now under control.

Car parking on pavements is a problem some locations and particularly the High Street.

Vehicle speeding occurs along the A30 (when traffic is not at a standstill from obstructions)! The PCSO has also monitored Station Road due to allegations of speeding (of particular concern due to the primary school children’s’ presence at the start and end of the school day). Mandy monitored the area for one hour and of the 92 vehicles using the road in that time 6 were speeding. They have been sent letters of disapproval. Speeding was one of the major concerns in responses to a questionnaire that was circulated with

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 102 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 the Milborne Port Magazine. There were 49 responses from a circulation of 600.

Views of village youth groups:

The PCSO strongly believes that having a good relationship with youth groups assists her in controlling antisocial behaviour in these groups. During her liaisons with these groups she has canvassed their opinion on what they would like to see in the village.

They would like re-establishment of the Youth Club. This was recently set up and met in Church House. However they are no longer able to meet there. The equipment is still available and the leaders would be willing to start up again if a venue could be found.

They would like more ‘jump’ in the skate park and organised events (apparently more like the park at Gillingham).

The teenage girls would like a meeting place two or three times a week, they would prefer a ‘café style’ environment where they could ‘hang out’ with friends for chats. Mandy feels such a venue could be very valuable as it could be integrated with organised events (hair-care, make-up, fashion, music, computing etc)

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 103 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix VIII Discussions with Faith Leaders

Church of England

Discussion with John Perry 17 th June 2009

The longest established church in the village; regular church services are held on Sunday and Wednesday. Sunday services attract some 70-75 people whilst the Wednesday service about 10. On special occasions, this number swells somewhat. In addition to these regular services there are baptism, wedding and funeral services in the order of 7/10/20 per year respectively. Obviously these figures vary significantly. Other churches in the area at Goathill, Milborne Wick, Charlton Horethorne and Stowell are part of the same benefice, though the latter two have only recently joined.

The congregation is ageing with the majority being over 50 years of age. Female congregation members represent between half and two thirds of the total. There is little evidence that the congregation is being refreshed by younger members and as a result it is shrinking over the years as existing members age and pass away. This gives concern for the future health of the church, though this is not specific to Milborne Port.

The Church links with the community in several other ways. The first is Church House, which, although being owned by the church is, bookable as a meeting place by anyone in the village. The Milborne Port magazine is run by the church but intended to be a general parish magazine; the look and feel being governed by the copy available. Revd. Perry was unsure, but thinks that some 700 copies are distributed. (If this is the case, it does suggest that it is not particularly well read given the number of people who still appear to be unaware of the Parish Plan).

The Church promotes fair-trade and recently tried to set up an eco group (though it has only three members).

When the church and state primary schools joined, the vicar continued to be a Governor at the school and takes one assembly per week.

The annual fete is organised by the church but intended to be an inclusive event.

Methodist

Discussion with Sooncheoi Choi 23 rd June2009

The Methodist Church in Milborne Port has been in existence since the late 19 th Century. The original church building was sold some 18 years ago and the church is now housed in what was until that time, the manse. This change was occasioned by falling church numbers.

There is one main service on Sunday morning with monthly Saturday coffee mornings. In the last two years there have been no baptisms or marriages, but

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 104 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 a couple of funerals. The normal services attract about 15-20 attendees, with many being couples. The gender is well balanced and the congregation comprises mainly of senior citizens.

There used to be a thriving Sunday school but this failed when a second leader could not be found such that child protection legislation could be fulfilled.

Rev’d Choi also has responsibility for the Cheap Street Church in Sherborne and will soon include Yetminster and Wincanton.

Given that the parishioners are ageing, numbers are likely to decline further in future and Rev’d Choi feels that greater working together with other churches may be needed for survival in future.

General support in the community is limited. A Palestinian support group uses the church for its meetings and Rev’d Choi shares in the taking of communion in the Wheathill sheltered housing.

He has plans for an art studio in the crypt of the church, open to the community and hopes to have that ready in the summer/autumn of this year, though he was a little vague on what this would comprise.

Steps Community Church

Discussion with Mr. Mark Petrauskas 24 th June 2009

This Church was started by a multidenominational group some 25 years ago and was originally known as the Milborne Port Christian Fellowship. It has grown over the years, suffering a dip when people attending from Sherborne split off to form their own group.

There is one Sunday service which attracts between 40-60 people and an evening Gospel coffee bar twice per month which attracts between 50-60 people. There are also house groups on a Tuesday night. The congregation is evenly split male/female and about 60% are over 60 with the rest being evenly split across ages.

The church, part of the Evangelical Alliance does carry out baptisms etc. though there have been none since Mr. Petrauskas came and he, himself is not an ordained minister. He expects the church to grow and stated an aim to involve 10% of all the residents of Milborne Port in the future.

In terms of integration with the community, there is a wide ranging list:

• Facilities used for community support officer surgery • Coffee shop three days per week • Ladies skittle league • Children’s club (5-11 years) once per month • Holiday club (5-11 years) in the summer

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 105 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 • Lunch club for seniors “food for thought” attended by about 40 people though this has been suspended because of shortage of kitchen staff.

Although not part of Churches together, together with other churches, he is also heavily involved with the Links project, a summer youth event (activ8) in Somerset which this year will take place in Milborne Port. (http://www.linxproject.com/activ8!.htm )

Catholic

Discussion with Fr. Louis Beasley-Suffolk, 30th June2009

The Catholic Church has been meeting at St. Johns in Milborne Port for over 40 years. Before that services were held at the Town Hall. Fr. Louis has been priest here for 3-4 years. Fr Louis considers SE Somerset to be unique in its fraternal/ecumenical agreements between the churches, the length and nature of the agreement for the sharing of St John’s is particularly valuable. MP is an especially integrated parish. The “Churches Together” grouping formally contains the Anglicans, Catholics and Methodists, but with a new and increasing involvement of the Evangelical group.

Services are held weekly at St John’s (9am Sunday). Fr Louis’ diocese is somewhat larger than MP parish. Residents of MP have the opportunity to attend (1 of) 17 masses between 17:30 Saturday and 18:00 Sunday within a 10 mile radius of Wincanton, and many do (and this incidentally does not include Sherborne which is outside his diocese).

Attendance at mass in MP averages 70 (more in the summer). Mostly it is the 50+ age group though there are an encouraging number of families. The gender split is (somewhat surprisingly) almost 50/50, more men than might be expected.

The demographic has not changed much in the last 5-10 years. Fr. Louis considers it more “consolidated”, more “ecumenical” and more “proactive”.

The churches involvement in the community includes youth projects (“Links” based in Wincanton) and things like the Church Fete (ostensibly an Anglican affair, but in practise a village event) and events like the Churches Together skittles match (Tippling Philosopher) and Harvest Festival Barn Dance (Village Hall).

In the future Fr. Louis is particularly optimistic, saying that MP people see one another as friends rather than as separate faith groups and that he sees this village as an ideal example of ecumenism at work.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 106 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix IX Final Consultation event Following all the questionnaires, interviews and focus group events, a view of the key issues was developed by the steering committee and this formed the basis for a final consultation event. The event was planned over two days beginning on a Friday afternoon and hosted at the village school. It started as school was finishing for the week, thus encouraging parents to attend.

In order to ensure no one was missed, the event had wide publicity, with articles in the local newspaper, event notices in two successive months of the Milborne Port magazine, entry on the website and posters around the village. Finally, in the week before the event, a notice was hand delivered to every residential property in the village.

The response at the event was very satisfying. A sign in sheet recorded a number of visitors exceeding 10% of the village population which is an underestimate as there was no barrier to people attending without signing in. It was particularly pleasing to see a wide cross section of the village community, in terms of age and length of time that people have been resident in the village. Several people who turned up on Friday evening came back on Saturday with further thoughts and comments, evidencing a keen interest in the work in which we have been engaged.

Our district councillor, Lucy Wallace attended for a while, and our PCSO, Mandy Forsey spent much of Saturday at the event.

Large posters of the work in each of the main focus groups formed the basis of the display, with a rolling slide show representing some of the issues. Visitors were encouraged to write “post it™” notes with their views or vote on existing notes with green (for) or red (against) stickers. In addition, members of the steering committee were on hand to engage with the visitors in order to increase understanding of the issues. This wealth of feedback was captured in the spreadsheet on the following pages.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 107 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Theme Issue Comment For Against Total Rank Foot- votes Order notes This column contains the detailed comments and votes. The votes are shown in brackets thus: (For-Against). ECONOMY Independent "This includes votes for a greengrocer/fruit/veg 108 6 114 102 Food and outlet (37-0) a baker (23-0), a farmers market (17- General 0), a general increase in shopping facilities (14-3), Shopping a minimarket (5-1), a grocer (5-0), a charity shop (3-0) and a clothes/shoe shop for kids (4-2)" Other services "Ideas included the need for a bank, primarily a 32 1 33 31 cash machine facility (12-0), a dentist (10-0), a cafe (9-1) and a restaurant (1-0)" Keep Post No specific comments made 24 24 24 Office Promote Village "Ideas included: a village promotion/development 22 4 26 18 company (9-4), a register of business services (7- 0), and to Market Business Properties (6-0)" Increase No specific comments made 14 14 14 Broadband speed Promote local No specific comments made 14 14 14 spending Village Balance Desire to stop conversion of existing commercial 9 9 9

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 108 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 premises to residential units Supermarket "Concerns raised about impact on Co-op. 24 25 49 -1 Concerns about impact of large delivery lorries within village, though a suggestion to have one at Gainsborough would obviate such a problem. Many commented that a supermarket would encourage local shopping as Co-op too small to provide a full service" ENVIRONME NT/ROADS Safer Roads "Ideas included: a 20mph speed limit through 233 21 254 212 "1,2" village or other calming measures (53-3), continue to allow parking in High Street (traffic calming) (48-6), encouraging non-vehicle use (31- 1), a pedestrian crossing on the A30 (26-2), Control over tractor speed, driver training and mobile phone use (25-0), making Paddock Walk one-way (22-0), and restricting large vehicles in the village (12-1), no parking on pavements 10-0), improvement of road surfaces (3-0), improved pavements (2-0), traffic lights at Crackmore Rocks (1-0), and a roundabout a the Gainsborough crossing (3-8)" Self- "Ideas included : greater self-sufficiency/transition 168 6 174 162 3 sufficiency/Tran town status as a general principle (49-6), more sition Village allotments/community orchard (48-0), more recycling - cardboard/plastic (24-0), support for wind turbines/solar panels (13-0), more trees

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 109 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 planted around village (12-0), car sharing (8-0), more walking to school and work (8-0), local food markets (6-0)" Housing "Ideas included: no further development (37-1), 103 3 106 100 development need for low density - houses for life with parking and home /work space (29-0), development of zero carbon housing (19-2), concern that there is insufficient local employment to support the increase in housing (13-0), need for more light industry (5-0)" Cycle Route Put more life into it 85 85 85 4 Parking More provision (20-3) 20 3 23 17 Bus services "Ideas included: service needed to get to 12 1 13 11 Sherborne for the start of the working day/school day (8-0), community transport for shopping trips (2-0), and improved and cheaper bus services (2- 1)" Town Zones Town Zones on all lanes except A30 (9-5) 9 5 14 4 COMMUNITY Improve Specific comments included: Create a broader 120 120 120 Communication community magazine; not just a parish magazine; make it free; change its frequency (28-0); Create a big central notice board (13-0); Produce a village introduction pack (10-0); Produce a clubs and events info list and calendar (10-0); Improve and promote the website (7-0); Email events and

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 110 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 notices (3-0); Produce a local trades list (1-0) Facilities for the "Most votes are related to facilities for teenagers; 72 2 74 70 young where the lack of volunteers and premises is seen as a block (41-0). Maintain the skate park (8-0). Some votes relate to younger people and the need for more; or updated; play areas (20-2). Desire for a youth centre (3-0), 'though again it is acknowledged that a youth leader will be required." "Maintain, "Keep, and make open more often the Library 66 66 66 Extend or Find (55-0). Create an open space such as an orchard; Community nature reserve or wild field (3-0). Create a Resource dedicated community office (1-0)" Spaces" Clubs and Create a swimming pool (10-0) (Use schoolpool? 46 1 47 45 Sports Facilities Already open to public?). Create music facilities and events (7-0). Create salsa and belly dancing classes (6-0). Create a bowling green (1-0). Create more clubs for elderly (1-0) Support "Create a process for encouraging and enabling a 40 40 40 Facilities variety of self-help schemes. Ideas included setting up an events group (16-0); encouraging the re-introduction of the annual village show (10- 0); encouraging use of existing facilities like the village Hall (11-0); setting up a ""buddy network""; an a-religious support system for those in need (3-0); setting up a community driving resource to

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 111 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 help transport to (e.g.) the doctors' surgery (2-0)." Maintain Social No specific comments made 20 20 20 Meeting Places

Footnotes 1 The consultation meeting was held at a time when then was a lot of heavy tractor activity around the village. The tractors were irresponsibly driven - too fast and without due concern for other road users (including pedestrians) 2 "The comment ""Stop Parking in the High Street"" (6 for, 48 against) has been moved from the ""Parking"" section to the ""Safer Roads"" section and inverted to ""Continue to allow parking in High Street (traffic calming) (48-6)"". Consultation Event conversations lead us to believe that it is to this it relates, and the inversion is necessary as we have always counted largest vote first (and otherwise it distorts all the figures to which it is added)." 3 The few negative responses were posted early in the Consultation day and it appeared were related to a misunderstanding of the term 'transition'. The team posted further information and defined the tern which then resulted in entirely positive

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 112 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 response 4 High response may be due to this being a long standing discussion point in the village and seemingly no progress or foreseeable way forward as the most favoured routes cross Sherborne Castle Estate

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 113 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix X List of Available Commercial Premises Property Status Illingworth & Partridge, North Street being marketed Doctors' Surgery, South Street being marketed - but planning application just received to convert premised back to 3 cottages Ex dentist's premises above the library (1st floor premises - may be suitable as office in North Street space) - not being marketed Taylors Electricals, High Street being marketed Ex electrical shop (Hinks) and wool/craft not being marketed - owned by Venwick Estate shop (Bumblecraft) in Thimble Lane

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 114 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix XI the Consultation Process This appendix details the data that has been collected over the last few years through the many and varied consultation processes. It aims to highlight how residents and businesses have been able to express their views on the Milborne Port economy.

From the outset, the value of all recent consultation was recognised. Further consultation was carried on with the business sector, not only to hear their views, but also to gauge the extent of local purchasing, and how barriers to it can be overcome. Many communities have strengthened their economy by increasing local purchasing

A Consultation for the Village Design Statement

In 2003 a Village Workshop at the school marked the start of the Parish Planning process. It gathered the views of people in the village on the importance of architectural, street scene, heritage and landscape features of Milborne Port. The outcomes from this consultation, together with the contributions of individual villagers underpinned the publication of the Village Design Statement

A Shopping and Services Questionnaire

In 2005, a questionnaire was delivered to 1200 homes in Milborne Port. It had a “good” 33% response. The questions were about a number of clear, yet often interlinked, themes such as;

• Where respondents work • Travel to work • Where main shopping is done • Barriers to shopping in Milborne • Travel to shop in Milborne • Needs from shops in Milborne • What shops are needed • Where new shops should go

A Business Questionnaire

The 2005 shopping survey was followed by a questionnaire delivered to the 84 known businesses in Milborne Port. 19 (23%) responded. The questions were on business themes such as;

• Type of business • How long in Milborne • Strengths and weaknesses of location • Where customers come from • What business premises are needed • Suitability of current premises • Satisfaction with access • What should change

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 115 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Help Shape the Future of Milborne Port - A Household Survey

The Parish Plan Steering Committee circulated a questionnaire in Spring 2008 to all households in the village the focus on Key Issues that affect residents. It invited people to rate the importance of 12 key topic areas, and offered space for comments

Face to face survey of Milborne Port Businesses.

On behalf of the Parish Plan Steering Committee, a Consultant conducted face to face interviews with 32 proprietors of local businesses in February/March 2009. The survey sought business views on many issues, including the barriers to growth, and the local spend of business, with a view to calculating the “multiplier”.

Consultations with Milborne Port Clubs and Societies.

In March 2009 the consultant consulted some local groups and clubs to determine their views on the local economy and other matters. The clubs were;

• The British Legion • The Church House Luncheon Club • Springfield Toddlers Group • Milborne Port WI

Similarly, discussions had been held with the Clerk to the Parish Council, and the Chairman of the influential local charity Commonalty

A Focus Group of Milborne Port Residents

In March 2009 the consultant facilitated a focus group of 42 randomly selected Milborne Port residents to determine their views on the local economy and other matters.

People reflected on the things they wanted to retain, and some aspirations for improvement. Views were broadly divided into Economic, Environmental and Social issues. There was discussion on communication.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 116 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Constraints and Statistical Data

In order that Milborne Port can be compared with other communities, data has been drawn from the Census and other statistical sources. This information was part of the foundation for the SWOT analysis (which can only be done in relation to other areas) and the Action Plan.

This report also benefits from other relevant studies that have been carried out over the last few years.

The Action Plan has regard to the planning and other constraints that apply locally.

ONS Neighbourhood Statistics

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) website www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk contains detailed statistics within specific geographic areas, for example in neighbourhood regeneration. Data from Milborne Port ward can be compared to South Somerset and Greatt Britain

Official Labour Market Statistics

Nomis publishes the website www.nomisweb.co.uk on which can be found an overview of the labour market within a ward like Milborne Port. It can be compared to South Somerset and Great Britain.

Plugging the Leaks

Local spending can be an important contributor to the local economy. The New Economics Foundation published this guide on how to do it in 2002. Elizabeth Cox, an economist with the Foundation, visited Milborne Port and addressed the Parish Planning Group

Regional Spatial Strategy

The South West Regional Assembly published a draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West 2006-2026 in 2006. It “paints the picture of a sustainable South West, setting out the trends, challenges and policy responses that the region will need to address, emphasising the commitment … to securing sustainable economic progress.” The Draft RSS policies have been shaped to help enable this vision to be realised in spatial terms

South Somerset Sustainable Community Strategy; 2008 – 2026

South Somerset Together, a partnership of agencies that aims to bring about a sustainable, improved quality of life for the communities of South Somerset, published the Community Strategy. The Strategy identifies how it will achieve its vision by identifying needs and opportunities, co-ordinating action, and influencing priorities.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 117 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 South Somerset Local Plan (and Local Development Framework)

This plan has guided planning decisions that affect Milborne Port. Although the Local Development Framework (LDF) will shortly supersede the South Somerset Local Plan, most of the Plan’s policies will remain in place

Milborne Port Village Design Statement

The 2003 Village Design Statement makes 23 comments about the way that local people would like the village to develop.

Business Perspective on Property: A Survey of Local Businesses in South Somerset

South Somerset District Council published a survey of business premises needs in the district in November 2003. They published an updated survey in March 2008.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 118 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix XII Specific References [1] Face to face survey of Milborne Port Businesses. Tegwyn Jones. March 2009

[2] Business Perspective on Property - Workspace Survey and Review. South Somerset District Council. March 2008 www.southsomerset.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=23274

[3] Business Perspective on Property : A Survey of Local Businesses in South Somerset. A South Somerset Business Needs survey. SSDC: November 2003

[4] Census 2001 reported in Ward Labour Market Profile for Milborne Port. NOMIS. www.nomisweb.co.uk

[5] Census 2001 Travel to Work reported in ONS Neighbourhood Statistics www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk

[6] A Business Questionnaire. Milborne Port Parish Council 2005

[7] Help Shape the Future of Milborne Port- a survey. Parish Plan Steering Committee. Spring 2008

[8] Plugging the Leaks . New Economics Foundation.200X

[9] A Shopping and Services Questionnaire. South Somerset District Council 2005

[10] Views of Members of Clubs and Societies in Milborne Port. Tegwyn Jones. March 2009

[11] The Milborne Port CPI Test. Tegwyn Jones. February 2009

[12] The Milborne Port Focus group. Tegwyn Jones. March 2009

The following sections deal in more detail with some of the suggestions made in the above draft plan and introduce some other concepts for discussion.

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 119 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24 Appendix XIII Bibliography The list of documents below has been used to inform our work on the environment and transport issues. It is not an exhaustive list. Many organisations claim to have influence over the issues and many routes for funding. The aim of this section of the parish plan is to distil some of the guidance and aspirations described in the various documents to set up a durable and long-term vision for the Parish. A number of the documents are long and complicated and require careful reading. It is a concern of the authors that the existence of these documents is not well publicised and few villagers will ever have the time to understand the implications. This being so, effective buy in by the community is unlikely. Do we achieve fair and equitable access to advice and information?

• Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 • Somerset Local Plan • Area east development plan 2008/2009 • Quiet lanes and home zones (England) regulations • Somerset county council environment directorate background report- cycling strategy • Guidance for implementing action plans • Findings Planning and designing home zones • home zones challenging the future of our streets • regional economic strategy for the South West of England • Local Development Framework Core Strategy issues and options 2008 appendix 1 • Life time homes 21 st century living • over coming barriers to regeneration in area east • The peripheral landscape study-Milborne Port • integration of parish plans into the wider systems of local government • South Somerset district council local development frame work core strategy issues and options • Department for transport quiet lanes • Department for transport consultation document on quiet lanes and home zones ( draft regulations and statutory guidance for England • Communities and local government communities in control real power, real people • The Milborne Port design statement

Milborne Port Parish Plan published on behalf of the Parish Council Page 120 of 120 Last Saved 22/04/2010 15:24